What is Smiles Matter?

You might be wondering, “What is smiles matter?” After we began masking due to the COVID pandemic, many people noticed a dehumanizing effect. The masks hide our faces, which is a huge part of how we communicate. So, a few people on Twitter started this movement to urge others to smile. And, most importantly, they want to ensure that each person they interact with knows that they’re valued. Below, Ronni Peck explains how and why the Smiles Matter movement started. If you want to learn more, you can check out our full conversation here.

Smiles matter is a movement to help re-introduced humanity to our interactions, and to remind people that we see each other as a human being, as a person. This is how that movement got started, and dives into the problems that we have when we cover our faces for months on end in every interaction we have.

Listen here to the full episode:

The website describes the movement like this:

We’re a worldwide grassroots social movement focused on PEOPLE, not pathogens.
Faces, not fear.
Humanization, not isolation.
Smiles Matter website

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How and Why #SmilesMatter Started

The reason the movement was started is people wanted to see smiles. Someone proposed wearing a smiley face to Ivor Cummins, who then helped to popularize the idea. Others latched on, including Ronni, and made it into a movement. Simply put, it grew out of a longing to have a real, human connection. Instead of viewing each other as viruses, we can see each other as human beings. In order to do this, we need to remember that other people aren’t just vectors of transmission. Each of us is worthy of respect and dignity, despite what muzzling our faces may seem to indicate.

What is Smiles Matter?