Conversations surrounding the sweeping effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are often dominated by one critical question: what have we lost? Researchers and civilians alike have sought to pinpoint exactly what went missing from human life in the coronavirus’ wake, but what about a particular faction of people who aren't quite able to contribute their perspectives to the larger discussion—young children? I remember vividly the day my mother returned home after the childcare facility where she works reopened in-person. In sharp contrast to the buzzing demeanor she normally exhibited after spending a full day with the kids, she seemed to be in rather low spirits. She explained that it was incredibly disheartening to see the emotional shift in the preschool-aged children who were typically energetic and optimistic, to witness their curiosity replaced with confusion. While practices such as masking and social distancing were new to all of us, children do not yet possess the unique kind of emotional sagacity that comes with age. This begs the question of the implications that adopting a “new normal” has for child development.
It is known that facial recognition is an ineluctable aspect of emotional processing and theory of mind, which is essentially the concept of ascribing mental states to others and is developed between the ages of four and five (Saxe et. al, 2006). This idea has brought masking in particular to the forefront of discussions in developmental cognitive neuroscience. In an interview with NPR in January, German psychiatrist Manfred Spitzer emphasized the importance of being able to perceive the faces of others, saying, “babies were never designed just to see the upper half of the face and to infer the lower half; even adults have a hard time doing this” (Kamenetz, 2022). For infants in particular, a plethora of studies have shown that an innate ability to recognize human faces that is reinforced by face-to-face social interaction in early life (Otsuka, 2014). Thus, how might we reconcile the deprivation of such a crucial aspect of socioemotional learning in the interest of public health and safety?
As pediatric COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations remain high, it is not a question of whether or not children and the people they interact with on a regular basis should be wearing masks. Rather, it is a question of what compensatory measures we might employ to minimize the adverse effects of this relatively novel practice. A 2021 paper in the Journal of Neonatal Nursing highlighted many recommendations for face mask communicative practice with children and infants, primarily focusing on exercises that allow the children to learn by observing the eyes and eyebrows of others (Green et al., 2021). This kind of learning should first take place at home with familiar faces, such that children might apply these adaptive techniques to their peers or teachers as they return to in-person environments. For babies in neonatal units, it is advised that clear face masks be worn by the nurses and to emote more strongly in an effort to engage babies in emotional processing early in life.
There is certainly much research to be done in order to assess the efficacy of these measures, but we do know that it is increasingly important to take steps towards creating or maintaining a sense of normalcy for children during such a confusing time. The emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is yet another example of what children can teach us about the complexities of humanity. It has reminded us that global change necessitates paying special attention to children who are, more than any of us, uniquely subject to the vicissitudes of their external environments.
About the Author
Soleil Golden is a sophomore at Harvard College concentrating in Neuroscience with a secondary in Psychology.
References
Green, J., Staff, L., Bromley, P., Jones, L., & Petty, J. (2021). The implications of face masks for babies and families during the COVID-19 pandemic: A discussion paper. Journal of neonatal nursing : JNN, 27(1), 21–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2020.10.005
Kamenetz, A. (2022, January 28). After 2 years, growing calls to take masks off children in school. NPR Education. https://www.npr.org/2022/01/28/1075842341/growing-calls-to-take-masks-off-children-in-school
Otsuka Y. Face recognition in infants: a review of behavioral and near-infrared spectroscopic studies. Jpn. Psychol. Res. 2014;56(1):76–90. doi: 10.1111/jpr.12024.
Saxe, R., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2006). The neuroscience of theory of mind. Social neuroscience, 1(3-4), i–ix. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470910601117463
Spitzer M. (2020). Masked education? The benefits and burdens of wearing face masks in schools during the current Corona pandemic. Trends in neuroscience and education, 20, 100138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2020.100138
It is known that facial recognition is an ineluctable aspect of emotional processing and theory of mind, which is essentially the concept of ascribing mental states to others and is developed between the ages of four and five (Saxe et. al, 2006). This idea has brought masking in particular to the forefront of discussions in developmental cognitive neuroscience. In an interview with NPR in January, German psychiatrist Manfred Spitzer emphasized the importance of being able to perceive the faces of others, saying, “babies were never designed just to see the upper half of the face and to infer the lower half; even adults have a hard time doing this” (Kamenetz, 2022). For infants in particular, a plethora of studies have shown that an innate ability to recognize human faces that is reinforced by face-to-face social interaction in early life (Otsuka, 2014). Thus, how might we reconcile the deprivation of such a crucial aspect of socioemotional learning in the interest of public health and safety?
As pediatric COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations remain high, it is not a question of whether or not children and the people they interact with on a regular basis should be wearing masks. Rather, it is a question of what compensatory measures we might employ to minimize the adverse effects of this relatively novel practice. A 2021 paper in the Journal of Neonatal Nursing highlighted many recommendations for face mask communicative practice with children and infants, primarily focusing on exercises that allow the children to learn by observing the eyes and eyebrows of others (Green et al., 2021). This kind of learning should first take place at home with familiar faces, such that children might apply these adaptive techniques to their peers or teachers as they return to in-person environments. For babies in neonatal units, it is advised that clear face masks be worn by the nurses and to emote more strongly in an effort to engage babies in emotional processing early in life.
There is certainly much research to be done in order to assess the efficacy of these measures, but we do know that it is increasingly important to take steps towards creating or maintaining a sense of normalcy for children during such a confusing time. The emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is yet another example of what children can teach us about the complexities of humanity. It has reminded us that global change necessitates paying special attention to children who are, more than any of us, uniquely subject to the vicissitudes of their external environments.
About the Author
Soleil Golden is a sophomore at Harvard College concentrating in Neuroscience with a secondary in Psychology.
References
Green, J., Staff, L., Bromley, P., Jones, L., & Petty, J. (2021). The implications of face masks for babies and families during the COVID-19 pandemic: A discussion paper. Journal of neonatal nursing : JNN, 27(1), 21–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2020.10.005
Kamenetz, A. (2022, January 28). After 2 years, growing calls to take masks off children in school. NPR Education. https://www.npr.org/2022/01/28/1075842341/growing-calls-to-take-masks-off-children-in-school
Otsuka Y. Face recognition in infants: a review of behavioral and near-infrared spectroscopic studies. Jpn. Psychol. Res. 2014;56(1):76–90. doi: 10.1111/jpr.12024.
Saxe, R., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2006). The neuroscience of theory of mind. Social neuroscience, 1(3-4), i–ix. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470910601117463
Spitzer M. (2020). Masked education? The benefits and burdens of wearing face masks in schools during the current Corona pandemic. Trends in neuroscience and education, 20, 100138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2020.100138
