The Nerd Label

[mrhateful]

I think its kinda cute, I am fairly self confident and I never feel like I have to show other people off in order to improve my own self worth. So that other people wish/act like they want to be me only adds to my confidence. Also I never see nerd as an insult and if I hear someone use it as such I'll always jump into the conversation proclaiming myself as a nerd and explain to them why being a nerd is sweet.

 

[Vault101]

Foe the last few years I haven't really been all that well studied up in any particular subject to qualify as a "nerd". I was just the "smart" friend, or the teacher's pet. Sometimes I wish I was.

I (recently) had this obession in looking for video game themed T shirts (this is very annoying for those of us with xx chromozomes)

and some of them just made me cringe, as in I wouldnt wear some obnoxious shirt with stupid stupid phrase like "Im a gamer!" and even worse are the "gurl gamer" ones...I think thats what part of what the OP is talking about

I remember Susan Arendt wrote an article about this last year. As a male it was kind-of embarrassing to learn how most of the shirts they did sell were actually about boyfriends like "My Boyfriend's Abs are made of Steel" (Iron man) or "My boyfriend keeps me safe from Locusts" (Gears). Such an appalling lack of imagination <spoiler= I had my own solution, though it's a little *dated* now>If You Think I'm A *****http://www.spacehamster.net/pics/natasha_shepard.jpgWait till you meet my FemShep

I remember that one

there werent too many like that...just mostly cring worthy sutff for guys and girls alike theres nothing that makes me want to vomit more than the Idea tha a girl decideds her interests based on what her boyfreind does

hahaha not bad (femshep looks...scary)

 

[Vern5]

I think "nerd" entails a lot of social awkwardness and also some esoteric minutiae, that's my definition of it at least.


"Geek" on the other hand would be the term describing someone really into some obscure subculture like Magic the gathering or anime or games. These are just people with non-mainstream passions, they can look like anyone, they could be anyone, they're not a specific "social group" of high-school like the "nerds"

I like this rundown of nerd vs geek. It resonates with a lot of the things girls have been telling me over the years and I, when it comes to matters of personal perception, I believe that we should all take the words of our favored gender into consideration.

For example: Back in highschool a lot of girls I hung out with later told me that I was more well-regarded than I previously thought. Naturally, I asked why that was? As it turns out, among the girls who knew me, I was perceived more as a geek than a nerd, which is the better category to inhabit, it would seem. The nerd designation does come with a lot of social awkwardness and general lack of attractiveness. A geek is just someone who was a weird hobby or quirk about them which can be overlooked. That's how it was explained to me, anyway. And that's just the high-school example..

 

[geK0]

I use it sometimes just because my general interests have always tended to fall into the "nerd" category. A while ago I'd be like "yes I'm a nerd, no I don't care if that makes me a loser" now it's "yes I'm a nerd, no I don't think that makes me cool" : /

 

[justnotcricket]

I'd rather not have any labels. If people want to pigeonhole themselves instead of other people, I'm fine with that. The labels are all meaningless anyway.

I don't like it when others pigeonhole me, but neither do I approve of having to 'earn' a label either. Seriously, what is with that?

If you care so much what other people think of themselves...that's an odd preoccupation.

 

[MarlonBlazed]

I'm far from smart so I can't say anything on the topic, I always had high praise for my smarter friends throughout my life and even though I made fun of them for doing things I considered weird it was typical friend stuff.

For the record nerd now means Not. Even. Remotely. Dorky.

 

[Arakasi]

Its gone full circle.

So square its cool.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTtnI2mRp74[/youtube]

 

[EeveeElectro]

I honestly think nerd is a cute little title. I don't get offended when someone calls me a nerd, I smile and thank them.
Geek or dork sounds worse in my opinion.

I think it's just the fashion nowadays. I thought it would have blown over by now, but apparently it hasn't. I still see just as many chavs who bullied me in school wearing those ridiculous lense less glasses (Fake glasses, for when your "I'm a ****" shirt is in the wash...- From Sickipedia I believe) and dungarees and long socks.

Fashion comes and goes all the time. Next year spacesuits might be the in thing.
I just wish people would stop pretending to be something they're not just because fashion dictates them to.

Eh, ignore it. A real nerd will clearly reveal themselves, I feel a bit of a poser by putting 'slightly nerdy' in my Twitter bio, but how else am I going to warn everyone I may spout bullshit they won't understand?

Also this:

 

[Trololo Punk]

Though I take pride in being a nerd, or at least the things that make me one. In my school it is still very much an insult that I've been called quite a bit. I just laugh when ever I'm called it though.

 

[bojackx]

Well, according to this, a nerd has to be intelligent, socially inept and obsessive:
http://laughingsquid.com/nerd-venn-diagram-geek-dork-or-dweeb/

And OP, I feel your pain, fake nerds are very irritating. Although I might not be a nerd by the definition in that link, since I don't really obsess over anything. I am smart and my social skills are pretty lacking, so that apparently makes me a dweeb.

Still rather refer to myself as a nerd instead of a dweeb. Dweeb doesn't sound like anything to be proud of. I've not heard people call me a nerd, but I blame that on the fact I'm inside all the time, playing games and revising for chemistry, biology and physics exams, because I'm just that cool.

 

[iseko]

I suppose since they started realising that games/sci fi/science and all that 'nerd' stuff is actually cool. Jocks play CoD and WoW which is considered to be nerdish. So now it's cool. But they are not nerds. They are still idiots.

Then again I'm not a nerd. Not a real one any ways. The only nerd traits I have are:

-Star wars: big fan of the ORIGINAL MOVIES (before lucas got his greasy hands on them and made remakes of the originals). I read pretty much all the books. Played all the games (even those god awful rts star wars games). Only two MMO's I ever played were SWG and swtor. So yea... star wars nerd.

-Science: I should explain that most/all of my friends don't even know what atom weighs the least. They always say Helium for some reason (hydrogen people CMON). So every time the topic comes to science. They all turn their heads to me because they don't have a clue. Not that I'm a genius but I think science is cool.

-I know a lot about games in general. Again, most (if not all) of my friends come to me for game advice.

The idea I have of a nerd is that they are socially inept. Not that bothered with hygiene adn their general appearance. Do and/or like cosplay. Like adventure board games. Spend way to much time in the dark behind a computer screen. Know the basics of programming. Can mess around with the hardware of consoles/computers. In general they are shy but can be quite the arrogant pricks when it is about something they shine at.

In general I don't like real nerds (the way I describe a nerd). Then again I don't like a lot of people.

 

[CODE-D]

I never really thought of `Nerd` as an insult, that may have to do with my sister calling me `Nerd-Girl` more than my actual name. Plus I've always been into nerds.

I dunno, maybe people are trying to be ironic or hipsterish or what.

Just know if there is a hot girl saying shes a nerd offhandedly, she probably isnt much of one probably.

Are you saying that real nerd girls aren't hot? I'm wounded, sir.

Im sure your beautiful phasmal, its just nerds in general arent proportionately the best lookin bunch.

 

[Tipsy Giant]

I never really thought of `Nerd` as an insult, that may have to do with my sister calling me `Nerd-Girl` more than my actual name. Plus I've always been into nerds.

I dunno, maybe people are trying to be ironic or hipsterish or what.

Just know if there is a hot girl saying shes a nerd offhandedly, she probably isnt much of one probably.

Are you saying that real nerd girls aren't hot? I'm wounded, sir.

Nerd girls are always hot, sharing an interest is always attractive!

OT: A nerd is someone who is passionate about a subject, so everyone is a nerd for something, sports, gaming, movies, reality tv..... just different subjects for different folks to be enthusiastic about.

Oh and for all those replying with "kids in my school are dicks and call me a nerd" forget those people, you will never think about them again once you finish school until you bump into them serving you food and then they'll be wishing they had studied instead of annoying you XD

 

[Vault101]

dear god....what a *****

I think people like to feel as though they "belong" to a certain group

and I guess I tick alot of the boxes..but TBH I'm still somwhat embarrased to identify with the worse parts of the demographic (though to be honest I don;t actually have any freinds therefore no one to be affiliated with)

The idea I have of a nerd is that they are socially inept. Not that bothered with hygiene adn their general appearance. D In general they are shy but can be quite the arrogant pricks when it is about something they shine at.

as in this...mainly being an asshole, and of coarse the pathetic mysoganistic bitter side of things

putting people in groups has its good and bad sides and its probably best not to get to hung up on thease things

also unrelated but today in the city I saw a guy with an N7 hoodie (not somthing I imagine Id see often out in thease parts)...I had this urge to run up to him and say "what did you think of the ending!? did you romance Tali?! I bet you did!"

 

[Phisi]

I tend to think of it an an insult. The qualities are mostly negative (being obsessed, fandom, bad social skills etc). That said I don't hear it often here in Aus. Out of my year group, the popular ones tend to play Pokemon and like what would be considered nerdy things while the 'cool' guys most people think are outright pricks.

 

[Eamar]

To be fair, it works both ways. If more stereotypical nerds deem you "too different" to them (be that in terms of looks, social skills, lack of having been bullied, anything really), they can be pretty quick to reject you as a nerd, even if you really are one. I particularly notice this as a girl, in that I often have to "prove myself" before male nerds will accept me.

And to be honest, I don't think the stereotype is even all that representative any more (if it ever was). Believe it or not, you can be popular and be nerdy at the same time. As I understand it, nerdiness is based on your interests, both what they are and the extent to which you're into them, not your social skills or appearance.

I (recently) had this obession in looking for video game themed T shirts (this is very annoying for those of us with xx chromozomes)

and some of them just made me cringe, as in I wouldnt wear some obnoxious shirt with stupid stupid phrase like "Im a gamer!" and even worse are the "gurl gamer" ones...I think thats what part of what the OP is talking about

Another person feeling your pain here. Seriously, the majority of what's available (and that's pitifully little compared to the amount of stuff out there for guys) is completely cringeworthy. I have recently found a few really good sites though, thank god. What bugs me most is the fact that the retailers clearly don't think there's much of a market for "girly" (why do they use that word? WHY?) nerdwear, yet in my experience the women's designs are nearly always sold out. Do they not want to make money? >.<

It's the same for metal merch, incidentally. Beginning to think I chose the wrong interests