As lockdown eases around the world and millions of people adjust to a more open way of living and socialising, the issue of whether or not to wear a face mask when you’re out and about in the world has become increasingly — and bafflingly — divisive.
After a Parks and Recreation-style viral clip of Floridians protesting over mask use as a direct attack on the airwaves God gave us, yesterday Facebook announced the launch of an information campaign reminding users to wear a face mask when they go outside.
In a statement the company said it would add messaging to its news feed and Instagram’s homepage to encourage people to cover their faces, and will direct people away from fake news and towards a “COVID-19 Information Centre”, which includes links to the CDC’s advice on infection spread.
The development might seem minor, but it’s a step in the right direction as part of a wider move from social media companies in cracking down on conspiracy theories and harmful false information that has flourished during the coronavirus pandemic. It comes after Twitter got into a spat with Donald Trump after marking one of the President’s video posts as “manipulated media”, and an earlier announcement from Facebook which attempted to stem misinformation with an alert informing users that posts they had engaged with might be “fake news”.
And given the reminders are on Facebook and Instagram, they’re also a constant reminder — as we’re all ignoring our screen time daily updates — on the importance of protecting ourselves, and others, simply by covering our faces. Seriously, wear a damn mask.