If you always feel like the lone masker wherever you go, I have some great news for you – you're not! And the new "Y'all Masking?" trend on X/Twitter is proving it, much to my utter delight.
If you're not on X, I honestly do not blame you at all. I'm literally only still there because it's one of the few places left where I can get actual news about COVID-19. Over the last few days, the "Y'all Masking?" hashtag has gone viral on the platform, and my feed has been filled with selfies of awesome, smart, kind, beautiful people wearing masks of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Seeing so many folks who are still masking has honestly given me the boost I needed to continue masking and staying safe from COVID-19, especially as we're currently in yet another surge.
Marie Snyder, who runs a blog called "A Puff of Absurdity" wrote about the "Y'all Masking?" trend:
At first it was just a fun little thing – let's all post pics of ourselves in masks! There have been several other times a bunch of people have done this, but this time it's really different. I think it's because of the mask bans.
The fight is more focused now. It's no longer a gentle encouragement that masks can help stave off illness, but a revolt against barriers to preventing the spread of disease.
Just for posterity, I think OmniAstral started it all on July 3.
And it actually affects me seeing person after person in my feed in a mask when I see literally nobody in real life wearing a mask outside my own family. My kids are absolute rockstars for ignoring peer pressure and continuing to protect their brains!! It doesn't just bolster my spirits to see such solidarity, it warms my heart that there are people who care to prevent the possibility of unwittingly infecting others in public places.
Of course there are comments about us all being sheep, and Covid's over, and it's just a cold, and "if you care about your health, lose some weight" and other gestures of outrage and opposition, but they disappear in the absolute sea of images. Check out #YallMasking.
Disability rights advocate and activist Potatum provides this quick and helpful overview of the trend:
#YallMasking: TheSolidarity in Safety: In July 2024, a social media trend emerged where users shared their experiences and opinions on continuing to wear masks, particularly in light of ongoing concerns about COVID-19. The trend, marked by the hashtag #YallMasking, saw individuals from various backgrounds expressing their reasons for masking, ranging from personal health concerns to broader public health considerations. The posts highlighted a community of people who felt isolated in their decision to continue masking, finding solidarity and support through the shared hashtag. The trend also sparked discussions on the effectiveness and necessity of masking, with some users emphasizing the importance of continued vigilance against COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
The hashtag is still going strong, so go post a masked selfie, or scroll through the ones already posted, if you're needing some encouragement today!
