Member-only story
Collective Suicide in the Age of the Smartphone
Many people these days are caught up in the Covid-19 Crusade, the politicized decision to wear (or refrain from wearing) a face mask. There are three groups that strongly oppose wearing the masks: men, young people under the age of 40, and Republicans.
Men
Men have typically been raised to believe that masculinity requires (A) not showing fear or any other emotions, except anger, and (B) not showing any weakness. Wearing masks is tantamount to displaying weakness, at least if you’re a man.
Young People Under the Age of 40
Recently, students at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa were throwing Covid-19 parties, wherein an infected student is present. Attendees throw money into a pot, and the first one who gets infected, as confirmed by a doctor, wins the pot.
Several house parties of young folks in wealthy enclaves north of New York City have recently been held, with substantial numbers of Covid-19 positive guests. They refused to talk to authorities, and officials are now issuing subpoenas to get them to cooperate.
The contempt, lack of social responsibility, and ignorant feeling of invulnerability of many young people may be fueling this behavior. Supposedly, these kids are smarter than their less-educated peers, but you couldn’t…
