It seems obvious that wearing masks all day would hinder social and verbal development in toddlers and small children, at least to some extent. I think everyone can agree that they wouldn't help in these areas?
You might think the public health benefits outweigh this concern, but it's disingenuous imo to just assert that there are no conceivable negative effects for a two year old having their first social experiences.
Not to mention the effects on children who struggle with their hearing and need to lip-read, from a disability rights point of view I don't think it's quite as simple as "masking kids is great, end of story".
This is a good answer. I've not been thinking in terms of two year olds - I've been assuming this debate is mostly about children who are elementary school and above.
You might think the public health benefits outweigh this concern, but it's disingenuous imo to just assert that there are no conceivable negative effects for a two year old having their first social experiences.