framing the world

"Language always comes with what is called "framing." Every word is defined relative to a conceptual framework. If you have something like "revolt," that implies a population that is being ruled unfairly, or assumes it is being ruled unfairly, and that they are throwing off their rulers, which would be considered a good thing. That's a frame." - George Lakoff


I couldn't agree with his studies more. Many people underestimate the power that language and eloquent speech have. Most of the time, we don't even realize that marketers are manipulating us through the way they word their adds. By saying that a product is 10X better than another product or that it's the best of it's kind to be around sine 1997, is framing the product in such a way to manipulate the possible consumer. 


"It is often noted that everyday items such as eyeglasses and contact lenses are forms forms of cyborg-ization that are so common we fail to notice how they represent an already-established seamless blend of human and technology. And, again, this type of retrospective awareness is in part occasioned by the more current forms of robotics, nanotechnology, and prosthetics which have pushed the blending of human+technology in ways that have demanded our attention. In a way, Mazlish's claim is that humans have always been cyborgs, and Haraway's work puts this insight into concrete visual terms. The cyborg becomes a kind of poster for the re-worked picture of human nature that high-technology is making unavoidable."


I'd say that this article very much makes use of framing. Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think that humans are completely dependable on technology. Because it's around, obviously we use it, but to say were dependent on it is kind of ridiculous. I don't think we're cyborgs. Yes, we use things like facebook, but do we need it to survive? No. Although some people maybe compulsive about using things like facebook and texting, that's not to say that it's needed for survival. Before the development of technology, people found ways of surviving. 


To say that eyeglasses and contact lenses are a form of cyborg-ization is kind of silly. Honestly, glasses were made to aid you. However, if given long enough periods of time with out them, people can function. For example, I've been wearing glasses since I'm in the second grade. Prior to randomly having my eyes checked during school one day, I would have never known that I didn't see well. I functioned normally, I wasn't dependent on anything. Currently, my eye sight is pretty terrible. I'm -6.75 in my right eye and -7.75 in my left. When I first started driving, I had a terrible eye doctor who would never change my prescription for me. I adapted and drove just fine. In fact, when I went to my current eye doctor and they wanted to see my prescription, they were amazed I hadn't gotten into any accidents. I think you see where I'm going with this. I think this theory is silly. 

Hugs and Kisses,
Katelin Fasano-Perry
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