Behind a mask, this distinction is not so clear. Niedenthal predicts that as mask use stretches on, people may rely more on the context of the situation to tell them how to interpret an interaction.

But that’s how exchanges went during pre-pandemic times. Now we’re smiling with a mask on, making the expression (in addition to many others that convey emotion) ineffective.

Apple's new smiling mask emoji will soon be available to users. The emoji seems to be in good spirits, wearing a mask to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

This was published 4 years ago The importance of smiling behind the mask Jo Lane July 28, 2020 — 11.00pm Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size ...