Face masks will be part of our wardrobes for the foreseeable future. There are recognizable challenges with communications through face masks, including sound distortion and covering smiles and emotional signals.
Facial expressions of all kinds are a very important component of human interaction. When we wear masks, we’re missing a major piece of that entire communication package” – David Matsumoto, PhD
Many hearing-impaired people rely on visual cues, such as another person’s lip movement, to communicate. Masks can hide this and muffle enunciation and speech.
Source: New York Times, June 23, 2020. Link.
INSIGHTS: As one with some hearing loss I notice how masks limit my ability to understand someone speaking to me. I believe more than 70 percent of the people I’ve met face to face do not understand the importance of looking at the person to whom they are speaking and how significantly masks muffle communication. Additionally, fast talkers become almost impossible to understand, let alone comprehend.
These impediments are especially noticeable at drive-through windows. Add a billed cap and there are almost no cues unless if the person is looking directly at me and speaking at a reasonable pace. Using a telephone or microphone forces the speaker to focus their voice and reduces the tendency to multi-task or look about.