<p>Over holiday break, we were sitting around with family and friends and I referred to my d as being a "nerd child", she was in the room at the time. Later my mom said that it seemed that calling her that was mean.</p>
<p>When my d first went to school labeled "gifted center", the children themselves preferred calling themselves nerds verses gifted. This generation has seemed to "embrace" the terms, nerd, geek, and dork (though a nerd would never date a dork-lol, so says the girls).
They look toward the leaders of the internet, and facebook as idols to be respected. For years my d calls her summer program at Vassar "nerd camp", and smiles about it.</p>
<p>She has embraced the concept "it is cool to be smart". Thus not having the difficulty that smart kids had in my generation. Is it clear that she was/is different that most kids her age, yep. But she has learned different is not better or worst...........just different.</p>
<p>I'm now referred to as "mom of the nerd". I wear that label proudly.</p>
<p>Any other nerds or nerd's parents out there????</p>
<p>I think “nerd”/“nerdy” has yet to be accepted by the “mainstream” of even the younger generations as a word of compliment. It may be used among “nerds” to call each other dearly or by people close to them to mean it in a good way.</p>
<p>You should realize that people see “nerds” in other ways. For instance, in my school people see all smart people as “nerds”. At my old school, people thought that kids are “nerds” if they spend their time using the computer or playing video all the time.</p>
<p>At my school, there is a group of “nerds” and although I’m not part of it, I still respect them. I consider myself smart and this reflects my grades, I have a 4.0 UW at a very good public school. But the way that I am a bit different from the “nerds” at my school is that I’m more social, and perhaps because I’m also pretty popular. Not to say that “nerds” can’t be popular, it’s just that they generally tend to be more introverted. That said, no I do not consider my self a nerd. One thing that I also realized is that a lot of “nerds” at my school aren’t smart all over. Some excell at 4 or 5 classes out of the 7 they take but they don’t get good grades in every single subject. I’m sure they’re capable of doing so but they just seem lazy. That’s my two cents.</p>
<p>Swiss-I agree with your comment that most “nerds” are introverted. I think this is due to their feeling of not fitting in and being teased in many situations. All kids want to just be accepted. </p>
<p>In grammar school my d was extroverted with her classmates and schoolmates, who where academically like her, yet in the general population, i.e. sports or dance activities, she seemed to be introverted, almost shy. I think this was a protection on her part to not be hurt. </p>
<p>Most “nerds” are not great in every area, but people expect them to be, thus another issue for them. Almost 50% are said to have some form of a learning disability, they just hide it well. Lazy is strong word. I would rather do something that I am good at and enjoy, than something that I dont care for and thus dont commit the effort.</p>
<p>Yes our kids do. And their parents are nerds too (we are both professors). Not surprisingly, most of our family friends are professional colleagues (researchers, coauthors). They are proud, self-proclaimed nerds and most of them have also produced nerd children.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if I’m a fan of celebrating the “nerd” title. If the idea is that a nerd’s comfort zone is primarily intellectual pursuits and that outside that zone - in the community, on a playing field, at a social occasion, on a trip etc - the nerd is less successful, happy and socially capable, then that’s too bad. It’s like wearing a badge of honor for being a half person. </p>
<p>It goes both ways, too. If a jock is only happy on a playing field and incapable of enjoying or succeeding in the classroom, going to see a play, or having an intellectual discussion about an idea, then he (or she) is equally a half-person.</p>
<p>A whole person is not one who is necessarily great at all things intellectual, physical and social (which does happen now and again), but a person who routinely engages in, tries and enjoys everything life offers, someone who really gets and about. If you hide away in your one small pocket of excellence, your one small comfort zone, you might find others in that same zone who will say “nerd” with pride, but I don’t think it’s a way of life to celebrate.</p>
<p>Sorry, nerd and geek still have strong connotations of “social misfit” to me. I know that the term geek has evolved to mean someone that is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about a certain topic, such as “history geek” or “Harry Potter geek”, but it still ruffles my feathers when anyone associated with I/T related work is automatically labeled with the term “computer geek”. If anyone dares to call me one, I quickly correct them and say, “No, I am a techodiva”.</p>
<p>^Agreed. According to Merriam-Webster, nerd means “an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person”. It doesn’t even mean “book smart”, which has routinely been unjustifiably associated with nerdy. On the other hand, just because people who are intensely academic are labeled nerds unfairly doesn’t make “nerd” an “ideal” way of life. One can unapologetically academic or book smart but doesn’t have be a nerd. I think the way “nerd” is accepted as mainstream would only reinforce the misconception that book smart people are inheritantly nerdy. On that note, has anyone been watching “Big Bang Theory”? A bunch of hilarious and cool nerds indeed but the show does sometimes make me wonder if the CalTech people are all that nerdy. :)</p>
<p>Thanks Thacher, but it comes from Facebook…some other nerd thought of it.</p>
<p>Actually, last year, my son wrote an essay for the categorization assignment for his CTY writing course on the difference between nerds, geeks and dorks. The dictionary definition of a nerd seems closer to what people now consider dorks. Of course, dork has another slang definition…</p>
<p>According to my kids, there are distinct differences between them. I’ll be that if I asked mine, being the nerds that they are, they would draw up a venn diagram because there are overlapping qualities.</p>