But I submit to you that there are not more nerds than there were before. I believe it's actually just more acceptable to "own up" to liking "nerdy" things now.
Who knows why? I suspect it's the internet's fault. Well do I remember the joy and relief from 15 years ago of finding other people online who loved Star Wars as much as I did. It was so unbelievably reassuring. If you love something - doesn't matter if it's astronomy or Sailor Moon - you can find a community of people on the internet that you could never build in real life.
Yes that's a very bad pic of me dressed as a Jedi for the premiere of Return of the Sith!
I find it interesting that only certain passions are considered "nerdy". If a nerd is a person who intensely likes something but why is a sports fan or motorhead not considered to be one? The definition of nerdiness seemed previously only to encompass scientific and pop culture interests. That's significant, don't you think? I wonder why.
I do however think the word is being applied in a wider context now. I have heard non-internetty people describe themselves as "family history nerds" or "gardening geeks". It's a slightly self-deprecating way of saying "I'm really into this thing that I think that you might think is slightly daggy or uncool".
I say we should embrace it. Ten years ago I would have been completely flabbergasted by the sight of a girl wearing Black Milk Harry Potter tights at the train stationg but now I think to myself "You are awesome and I'd probably like you".
Are you a nerd about something? Do you embrace it or are you still slightly embarrassed by it?
I do however think the word is being applied in a wider context now. I have heard non-internetty people describe themselves as "family history nerds" or "gardening geeks". It's a slightly self-deprecating way of saying "I'm really into this thing that I think that you might think is slightly daggy or uncool".
I say we should embrace it. Ten years ago I would have been completely flabbergasted by the sight of a girl wearing Black Milk Harry Potter tights at the train stationg but now I think to myself "You are awesome and I'd probably like you".
Are you a nerd about something? Do you embrace it or are you still slightly embarrassed by it?