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Why many teens are still wearing their masks to school

By Carolyn Tate|

It's been a month or two now since face masks were mandated in our local schools, but when I drop my teenage son off at school each day, not only is he still masking up, but I see plenty of his friends doing the same.

As someone who couldn't wait to get her mask off, I was confused by the popularity of the masks, but my son tells me he feels more comfortable going out each day with a mask on. And it's not because he's worried about COVID, it's because he feels more safe and secure with his mask firmly on, as he goes out to face the world each day.

And he's not the only one. The New York Times reports that many teens are reluctant to take off their masks, with experts claiming they have been helpful in alleviating social anxiety.

Psychologist Donna Cameron from The Couch says a mask can help with a range of worries.

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Two Teenage Girls doing an Elbow Bump to greet each other meeting outside during Covid-19 pandemic times. Wearing surgical face masks greeting each other securely with an elbow bump. Avoiding tight body contact, handshakes and huggings with the new elbow bump greeting procedure. Covid-19 Pandemic Times Youth Culture Lifestyle..
Is your teen taking longer than others to remove their facemask? (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"Teens with anxiety often have a fear that others around can see the symptoms, the shaking, the tension and the panic," she says.?"Our teens often do not have any way of concealing these symptoms, they are not old enough to grow facial hair or wear make-up to offer that feeling of security.

"The mask has offered teens a way to hide some of their anxiety symptoms and emotions from others, and wearing it has also made many of them feel 'normal' and 'like everybody else', for once they look the same as their peers and this has given the anxious teen a real sense of safety, security and belonging."

And it makes sense. Teens already have so much to deal with on a daily basis จC if you add anxiety to the mix and the idea that they've had the security of at least partially hiding their faces for the past couple of years, ditching the masks can be confronting.

If your teen is holding onto their mask, Cameron recommends taking a soft approach.

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"The last two years have been extremely stressful for everyone, including our teens," she says. "When stress levels are high, anxiety levels for that person will increase.?While the world is getting back to its 'new normal' it is important to let everybody adjust to this in their own time.

"The anxious teen may take a little longer than a teen who does not experience anxiety to do this, and the mask in this transition time may be that security item that they need to help them adjust back in their life with face-to-face schooling and extra-curriculum activities. Let them take their time and have conversations with them about what the mask is helping them with."

And if your teen shows interest in moving back towards mask-free time, Cameron recommends phasing it in gently.

"See if they can make some decisions in situations that they identify as low-stress events for them to take the mask off and then slowly increase the mask-free time from there," she suggests.

"Take it slow, and if you are worried as a parent that the mask wearing is preventing your child from participating in life events, if they are dependent on wearing it all the time and panic when they cannot wear it, reach out to a professional who can assist them with their anxiety and strategies to help regain their sense of safety."?

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With all that has been going on in the world over the past few years, it can be easy to miss signs of stress or anxiety in our teens, or dismiss their concerns as not serious. But if they are clinging to their mask as a security item, or displaying other signs that they may need support we, as parents, can help.

"Anxiety occurs when the body feels at risk of harm, it is a response to fear and can also occur when the person has experienced stress over an extended period of time and who does not have the strategies to manage this stress in their life," says Cameron. "Our children can and do experience stress and have over the last two years with Covid-19.?

"Reach out for help for your teen if their anxiety does not settle down so they can learn the appropriate strategies to get their lives back on track."

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