I think you are wrong about mask usage and especially theories on places where it's common. My understanding, which could very well be wrong, is that high mask usage is common in cultures were being a burden to others is a faux pau. Masks don't protect you from others, they protect others from you. This is why in some Asian countries it's common to wear a mask when you have symptoms of a cold out of respect for others. Rather than being a sign of a dehumanized society it seems to be a sign of an emphatic society where people don't want to burdern others.
There's something uniquely western about the focus on the individual and wearing masks to protect oneself rather than protecting the collective from the individual. My understanding of the research on the topic is that mask are good at preventing spread by the wearer but not good at preventing infection of the wearer by others.
There's something uniquely western about the focus on the individual and wearing masks to protect oneself rather than protecting the collective from the individual. My understanding of the research on the topic is that mask are good at preventing spread by the wearer but not good at preventing infection of the wearer by others.