In 2016, to be a "nerd" has a very different cultural connotation than it did 20 or 30 years ago. Way back when, being a "nerd" meant being boring, lame, unpopular, weird, weak, and cowardly. The image it brought to mind was of a brainiac that wore thick glasses and had braces; the bottom of the social totem pole in high school at the time.
Nowadays, being a "nerd" means knowledgeable, passionate, expert, intense, and thorough. We live in a time when "nerd culture" is celebrated and encouraged. If you want to tell someone how much you enjoy any given topic, just call yourself a nerd and that's that.
The funny thing though, is that the denotation of "nerd" hasn't changed a bit. According to Dictionary.com, the definition of "nerd" is "an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a non-social hobby or pursuit."
So why is it acceptable, even encouraged, to be a "nerd" nowadays when it wasn't before?
My theory is that in today's society, it's cool to care. High schoolers in the 90's made it their goal to care as little as possible; the less you cared, the cooler you were, or the tougher you looked. "Whatever" and "I don't care" were standard responses to any question that needed more than a "yes" or "no" answer.
Nerds of that time were probably singled out because they refused to conform to the norm. Yes, they were great at math and liked it so much that they joined the Mathletes. Yes, their favorite books were "Lord of the Rings" and they taught themselves to read Elvish just because they could. These things alone, however, were not enough to bring on the scorn of their peers. What really made our nerd brethren pariahs was the fact that they cared about things. They were passionate about their interests, and they weren't afraid to show it! While the "cool" kids were sitting around pretending like they loved being bored, the nerds were going out and proclaiming themselves to the world.
In my mind, I like to think that people got jealous of anyone that had the strength to go against the norm in that way. I mean, obviously, everyone has things they have a passion for. What would it be like to constantly feel pressured to hide those passions? To be pushed down into a stagnant, negative thought process that didn't allow for strong feelings that weren't anger or resentment? It wasn't cool to be productive; it was cool to be defiant, resistant!
"Nerds" back then were mostly people that enjoyed school in some way. If you were good at math or science, if you liked reading, if you cared about your education, you were a nerd. Today, anyone can be a nerd! Are you a sci-fi nerd? Great! "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" have had highly successful reboots recently. Are you a history nerd? Awesome. YouTube has some great history themed channels, and you should check out Hamilton: the Musical. Are you a science nerd? A literature nerd? A car nerd? A sports nerd?
In 2016, it's really cool to care about things. The more passionate you are, the better! We like to indulge ourselves in our passions, and with the innovations of social media, we have the tools to connect with other nerds just like us around the globe to create nerd communities! These nerd communities are called fandoms (get it? Fan Kingdom? Fandom?), and there are websites and social media outlets dedicated to serving these fandoms. Tumblr, Pinterest, and fantasyfootball (sports nerds!) are just a few examples.
I'm very glad that I live in a time where being a nerd is a good thing because people who are passionate bring change to the world. Being a nerd means you are hard-working, driven, and dedicated. I think that the nerds in the world create the most wonderful contributions -- inventors, poets, actors, and researchers. So don't be afraid to indulge your inner nerd and geek out with your friends about the things you love most!
