In 2019, an outbreak of novel coronavirus infection (hereafter referred to as Covid-19) occurred, and on January 16, 2020, the first case of an infected person was confirmed in Japan. Now that more than two years have passed, the world is gradually returning to normal. However, the increased use of Social Networking Services (SNS) and web conferencing tools has caused young people, who are accustomed to seeing filtered faces, to become dissatisfied and uncomfortable with their own real faces. This has resulted in an increased number of young people who have become dissatisfied and mentally stressed with their facial features and expressions. Therefore, the author conducted a study on young people aged 18–20 years old in 2022 regarding this issue. The author evaluated the changes in awareness one’s own face between the Covid-19 pandemic and the present among students attending Japanese universities, despite being affected by Covid-19 in the latter half of their high school or college years. The results indicated that 49.2% of the respondents revealed that their awareness their own faces had changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on these findings, it is necessary for educators and parents to take considerable actions, so that young people do not become obsessed with the quality of their facial features and feel unduly stressed. Furthermore, young people should not be ashamed of their real, unfiltered faces.
Purpose of the study: This study aims to shed light on the effects of COVID-19 on university students. Specifically, the author clarifies the habit of wearing masks, a characteristic among Japanese, and their self-perceptions regarding their appearance post-COVID.
Methodology: The author hypothesizes that students who have not had the opportunity to see the real faces of their classmates since entering university will have great resistance to removing their masks in public. The hypothesis will be tested and analyzed by conducting a questionnaire survey of 357 students in Japan to investigate their perceptions of their faces during FY2023.
Main Findings: As of May 2023, 357 students (191 males and 166 females) in Japanese universities underwent Cross tabulation and Chi-Square analysis to examine shifts in their attitudes toward appearance and mask-wearing habits. The study revealed significant differences in attitudes and mask-wearing tendencies between the two genders (p < .001, p = 7.6E-07, = 24.5).
Novelty/Originality of this study: It has been discovered through this study that a greater number of female students continue to wear masks even when it is no longer mandated. This difference in behavior between genders is statistically significant, confirming the hypothesis. The survey also uncovered the reasons behind this behavior, including habituation, changes in self-perception, and the influence of the surrounding.
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