It Pays to Mask
While in the throes of spring cleaning last week, I came across three $5 bills I had completely forgotten about. Finding the cash was a bit of a rush, giving me this feeling like hey, I’m $15 richer than I thought I was! Not that $15 will solve any of my current problems or make my life significantly easier, but the little burst of dopamine that followed was certainly worth noting.
There’s something weirdly thrilling about having cash in your hand. It’s a tangible item with unquestionable value. Now that electronic payments are the standard for everything from utilities to retail to vending machine purchases, cash is almost a novelty - albeit a slightly impractical one. My windfall of cash left me with three options: make a trip to the bank to deposit it, spend it somewhere that may or may not have the correct change, or give it away as a gift.
I chose the last option.
I took this epic find of $15 as a sign that it was time for me to try out something I’d been mulling over for a while, so I ordered a custom stamp bearing the phrase #ItPaysToMask. It cost me about $10. I used it to stamp each of the bills with the message. (In case you’re wondering, no, it’s not defacing currency, and yeah, it’s legal).
Over the weekend, my spouse and I went out to run errands. We gave the cash out to the few masked people we saw in public. As we approached each one, I simply held up the $5 bill, pointed to the #ItPaystoMask stamp, and said “Hi, this is for you.”
The immediate responses were all the same. “What?” They all seemed a bit confused, maybe even skeptical. Then I would say, “it pays to mask, so you get $5 just for wearing a mask today. Thank you!” Each one accepted the money with gratitude, pleasantly surprised. “Really? Just for wearing a mask? Thank you!” Then we’d move along to finish our errands, keeping an eye out for other maskers.
That was it. I kept it simple for a number of reasons.
For one, those of us who mask regularly already know what we’re up against each time we set foot in a public place. Many of us have been mocked, harassed, ostracized, or even assaulted. Those experiences have taught us to keep our heads down, move swiftly, and get in and out as quickly as possible. I was aware that trying to engage with masked strangers might have been triggering for some people.
Since I was approaching them and not vice versa, I wasn’t in my usual mode of offering N95s and websites for Covid info as I often do when people approach me. Being sensitive to the different dynamic, I made it clear from the beginning that I was offering a gift, and it was solely to thank them for masking. When they accepted, I departed unless they seemed interested in talking more.
I didn’t make assumptions about – and didn’t ask – why they were masking. What mattered to me is that they were doing so voluntarily.
I didn’t comment on the type of mask they were wearing, as long as they were wearing it correctly. I didn’t want to put anyone on the defensive or risk making them feel like their mask was inadequate. I was wearing an N95 and had spares in case anyone showed interest in mine and wanted to talk more.
I didn’t include any printouts or offer links to websites. I didn’t want to appear as though I had an agenda. A gift is a gift, given without expectation of anything in return, so I didn’t want the people I approached to feel that it came with an obligation to do any homework.
Greeting, gift, gracias (thank you). That was the formula I followed.
So what was the point?
I was offering positive reinforcement to people who were voluntarily practicing a health behavior that supports community care. Whether that was part of their intention or not, whether they had the best mask available or not, and whether they wanted to engage with me more or move along was irrelevant to me. I simply wanted to reward them for doing the right thing, so they're encouraged to continue the behavior. I did so with money, knowing it would be valued; knowing it would cause a little surge of dopamine and make for a memorable story they could share with others.
Maybe even post about on online.
The #ItPaysToMask message is stamped on the bills to help get the word out among the social media-savvy. That said, it’s also a standalone message that gives a straightforward explanation as to what the campaign is about. Wear a mask and you might just end up with a little cash. That’s the bigger message that I’m hoping will spread each time a stamped bill changes hands.
In the U.S., U.K., and other cultures that are WEIRD (western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic), people are more willing to work for monetary rewards than for psychological motivators, such as helping each other. People in WEIRD cultures are also more motivated to work for financial incentives than people in poorer countries. This phenomenon makes sense when you view it through the lens of capitalism. When our worth to society is defined by how much wealth we produce for others, we naturally associate money with power and privilege. It makes us more willing to do things we wouldn’t normally do.
Hence why employers offer merit-based raises. They know most people aren’t going to do more than expected out of the goodness of their hearts, but will gladly go above and beyond for extra pay. It’s why people in financial incentive-based weight loss programs lose more than their peers who don’t get paid. In programs like HealthyWage and StickK, people can set weight loss or other health goals and bet on their own success. If they meet their goals, they earn money. Thus even the possibility of a monetary reward can be enough to motivate a behavior change.
Such as masking in public once again.
I know better than to think $5 would be enough to persuade die-hard anti-maskers, as well as people who fear standing out in a crowd. But for those who are indifferent, or might have the desire to mask up again, the possibility of a little cash could be the extra bit of motivation they need.
If that translated to a few more people masked in the grocery store or pharmacy each week, it would start signaling to others that they’re seeing more masks again. That could motivate them to wear a mask the next time they venture out in public, because God forbid they not fit in with everyone else (see the elevator experiment). It could boost masking throughout the community just enough that some might see it as normal again.
I got such positive feedback and interest after posting about it on Twitter that I crafted this blog to share my vision for the #ItPaysToMask campaign. I plan to keep giving this a go locally as my budget allows, but in order to see a real impact, it needs a bigger reach. So if you want to order a custom stamp or even just handwrite the hashtag #ItPaysToMask on a five or a twenty or even a one dollar bill, and hand it to a fellow masker the next time you’re out in public…
GO FOR IT.
I’ve outlined my approach and the rationale for it, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow it to a T. If you’re passionate about education or if you have a stack of N95s you want to give away, then make it part of your approach and do #ItPaysToMask your way. And if you don’t have the extra cash to spare but want to participate, you can contribute by posting on Nextdoor that you've heard about people giving away money just for wearing masks in public. Or if you’ve got links to local mask blocs or helpful resources that inform people about Covid and other airborne viruses, post them with #ItPaysToMask so curious folks will find valuable content when they look up the hashtag.
The beauty of grassroots campaigns is they start from the ground up and can grow in unexpected directions. This might create opportunities to meet other Covid-conscious people locally and build community among fellow maskers. It could lead to increased demand for N95s and kick off a new mask bloc in your neighborhood. It may even boost masking activity just enough that your local grocery store or mall could see the benefit of holding special hours for masked shoppers. Who knows?
All I know for certain is that #ItPaysToMask – for health reasons, for community care, for role modeling and normalizing the practice for others. Until everyone else figures out the true wealth to be gained from masking, I’m cool with giving away a few bucks every now and then to help make the point. And if you want to do the same in your community, I salute you and look forward to hearing how it goes.
In good humor and solidarity,
Guiness Pig
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