masks and communication

[capo602002]

Since masks have been implemented at work I find that meetings take quite a bit longer. Sitting in a meeting room with 10 other people, several of which English is not their first language is fairly illuminating. I never realized how much visual cues mattered in speech. It can actually be quite comical at times. I also find it interesting that apparently it is OK to go maskless if there is a cup of coffee in front of you - apparently coffee is a great protector. I find it sad that I used to be devoted to my job and lately I really don't care anymore and have been thinking more and more about retiring. The rules and threats of a vax mandate have just burned me out and left me not caring about the job or company. Other people my age here are feeling the same. Time to retire and leave Ca.

[Cali-Glock]

I have a severe hearing loss, but am able to function at a pretty high level - most people do not realize I am hard of hearing or if they do, they don't have any idea really how severe the loss actually is.

While I always knew being able to see the other persons face made a huge difference for me in comprehension I had no idea how significant it was until I took a long hearing test where the same audio was used throughout but in some cases there would be a video of the person speaking as well. My comprehension when there was an accompanying video was several times higher.

Wow!

Jump to these past 21 months of people wearing masks - often I can ask a person to repeat themselves a half dozen times and still have zero clue what they are trying to say to me. -- Just one of the reasons why I just hole up at home rather than even try to interact with anyone in real life.

[Scota4570]

My hearing is trashed. I read lips to fill in the blanks. With masks I have trouble.

Young people are particularly an issue. They tend to look at the ground and mumble. Apparently they did not have a parent to tell them to look the person in the eyes and speak clearly.

[bugsy714]

I feel your pain guys, while I have perfectly normal hearing I have poor eyesight which definitely impedes my ability to figure out what the hell people are talking to me about at times


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[VictorFranko]

Yup, people don't realize how much "lip reading" helps "hear" the person they are talking to.
I always knew it helped me but until all this mask wearing and Plexiglas dividers I never knew just how much.

[VictorFranko]

Oh, and if you wear hearing aids, wearing a mask too really sucks.
Behind the ear masks want to rip the hearing aids out of your ears and throw them on the ground when you remove the mask.

[DaveInOroValley]

I am in the same boat as others here with hearing loss caused by the military and early on shooting over the years. I hate having to ask people to repeat themselves usually the ladies as they tend to speak softer.

Men usually not a problem but luckily my wife has the ears of a bat so it works out usually.

[OlderThanDirt]

Oh, and if you wear hearing aids, wearing a mask too really sucks.
Behind the ear masks want to rip the hearing aids out of your ears and throw them on the ground when you remove the mask.

[larkja]

My hearing is trashed. I read lips to fill in the blanks. With masks I have trouble.

Me too. I didn't realize how much I looked at a person's mouth when talking. Now I have to ask them to repeat multiple times.

[SanDiego619]

Whenever people talk with a mask on it sounds like the teachers from Charlie Brown

[ibanezfoo]

Since masks have been implemented at work I find that meetings take quite a bit longer. Sitting in a meeting room with 10 other people, several of which English is not their first language is fairly illuminating. I never realized how much visual cues mattered in speech. It can actually be quite comical at times. I also find it interesting that apparently it is OK to go maskless if there is a cup of coffee in front of you - apparently coffee is a great protector. I find it sad that I used to be devoted to my job and lately I really don't care anymore and have been thinking more and more about retiring. The rules and threats of a vax mandate have just burned me out and left me not caring about the job or company. Other people my age here are feeling the same. Time to retire and leave Ca.

Because I'm kind of an a-hole, when people try to talk to me in masks I just keep pretending I can't understand them and keep watching them to read lips until eventually they get frustrated and pull that stupid thing down and talk to me as God intended.

[sonofeugene]

And very young children are having difficulty developing language skills because everyone around them is masked up. Irreversible damage.

[turbolxstang]

Its just a mask

[numpty]

Because I'm kind of an a-hole, when people try to talk to me in masks I just keep pretending I can't understand them and keep watching them to read lips until eventually they get frustrated and pull that stupid thing down and talk to me as God intended.

You and me both. I literally had a lady getting mad at me for not wearing a mask and kept telling me wouldn't serve me without a mask, but obviously I couldn't hear what she was saying. She eventually pulled her mask down to tell me she wouldn't serve me without a mask. I politely asked her why she would endanger me by pulling her mask down if she really believed that they helped. Incidentally, while she was wearing her mask it was down below her nose as well...I pointed that out too.

Needless to say, I did not get any tamales that day. I rarely get any resistance anywhere, but El Super is apparently really strict on their policy.

[numpty]

Its just a mask

My BIL got some weird deep infection that could have cost him his life if it went to his brain. He's a super healthy guy but wears a mask pretty much all day for his work. I guess it could be just a mask, but it could also be dangerous to your health/wellbeing/etc. like the studies say.