Decades ago, there was a typical ‘nerd’ stereotype. Nerds appeared in movies, on television, in books.
They generally
- dressed in an old-fashioned way (bow ties, high-waisted slacks)
- wore glasses
- liked Star Trek, Star Wars and board games
- liked computers
- liked comics
- were usually skinny
- were academically gifted
- hated sports
- were socially inept
Nowadays the nerd’s formerly niche hobbies and interests are all mainstream. Everyone uses computers all the time and no one bats an eyelid at someone with high-waist ankle-length trousers or a bow-tie. Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs are all billionaires.
Is there such a thing as a nerd anymore? Or are we all nerds?