The majority of teenagers today confuse me. Surprised? Okay, so I may be a teenager myself, but there’s one thing that has me flummoxed.
Sometimes (well, quite a lot of the time), I get looked down upon for reading, and for actually bothering to pay attention and learn something in lessons. I get called a ‘geek’ and a ‘nerd’ and that’s just by my friends. I’d hate to think what some people think of me, but that’s a conversation for another post. Yet, I see these same people that would look at me in contempt posting pictures of themselves on Facebook wearing t-shirts with the word ‘geek’ emblazoned over the front and oversized glasses on their faces. Needless to say that most of these people have perfect eyesight. Are the terms ‘geek’ and ‘nerd’ derogatory as they once were, or do they have a different meaning entirely now?
I’m not ashamed to admit that, yes, I own one of these geek t-shirts that everybody seems to be wearing. To be fair, I didn’t pay the 20-30 pounds I’ve seen asked for on some websites, because I found one in a charity shop for a very cheap price. If I hadn’t have found it that day, I would never have thought to have bought one on the Internet because I don’t feel like I need a t-shirt to show who I am. Nevertheless, I invariably bought it, not because I wanted to follow the latest trends or be like my friends, but because I am proud of the fact that I like to learn and am not ashamed to show it. Whether I have a t-shirt/badge/insert other geeky item here or not, I’m still going to show these habits that give people reason to call me a ‘geek’ or a ‘nerd’. After all, I’m not going to change myself for someone else or let them tell me who I am. Knowledge is very important to me and without it I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
I’ve never been one to follow the crowd. I deliberately won’t shop in designer shops like Superdry and Hollister because this is where the majority of people at my school shop. I want to be original and originality is another thing that is very important to me. I want to be the person that stands out and not blends in. What’s the point in being the same as everyone else?
I have gone off on a wild tangent here, but I suppose what I’m trying to say is that this is the chance to really embrace your inner geek and celebrate it. Times are changing and it’s not always a bad thing to show your superior knowledge now. 😉
What do you think? How do you show your geekiness?
Don’t forget to wear your geekery like a badge!
18 Comments
Rebecca-Books
18 August, 2013 at 10:45 amTwitter: rebeccabooks
I completely get what you’re saying! It really confuses me especially with the whole geek trend going on.
I know I’m 18 so maybe things have changed in the years since I was in Year 8 and 9 (oh my sweet lord that was 5/6 years ago…I’m so old!)
I was one of those that kind of suppressed their geekiness, tried not to let it show although when I got good grades and did the work, I was always called a geek. I tried to follow trends that my friends were and be what was believed then as cool. But I never felt happy. I think when everyone starts to grow up, most people become mature enough to like you for who you are. In Year 11, I read in form time openly and some of the people there started talking to me ABOUT books as if that was the THING to talk about.
Believe me by the time you reach sixth form or college, people don’t really care if you’re popular or cool or geeky. And I loved that I could be geeky without anyone looking down on that.
You should be yourself! That is the main thing.
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Sunny A
18 August, 2013 at 11:23 amTwitter: A_SunnySpot
Great Post Lucy! I’m so grateful to know someone who believes that being a ‘Geek’ is truly something to be celebrated rather then embarrassed about. My sister actually asked me today why I included Geek on my twitter bio and it’s simply because it’s something I’m proud of rather then ashamed of. It’s easy for girls to pose and pout in tops that shout ‘geek’ and then mock people who actually are, I truly don’t understand people these days. Reading makes us intelligent and it’s something we are passionate about so why be judged on it? I love these posts and the message they give across. Highfive for being a Geek and Proud!
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Melanie (YA Midnight Reads)
18 August, 2013 at 12:13 pmThere are mean people at my school who believe that people who read have no life- I’m like, “YOU HAVE NO LIFE B*TCH” Anywho, I show my love for books at school, I always have a book with me and I pounce on anyone in my class who is reading a good book.
Fab post, hon! <33
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Anya
18 August, 2013 at 1:13 pmTwitter: awfullotofbooks
I know exactly what you mean Lucy and it seems that our school hasn’t changed since I left! Heck, I was bullied for 3 years and that did nothing to damper my geekiness and even made me more proud to show who I am and not have to apologise for it. Even though my early years at school sucked, it made me stronger and that’s why I can now be a proud reader and blogger. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being geeky and if you’re lucky, you make friends that feel the same 🙂
Eileen @ ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***
18 August, 2013 at 3:38 pmIt seems that everybody who reads is labeled as a nerd, whether jokingly or for real, and I honestly don’t care if I’m called a nerd because that’s just who I am 🙂 I love those nerd shirts anyway, though, because they’re actually adorable. I don’t think I’d ever buy one for that much money either, just because it’s a lot to pay for a shirt in general, although I probably would buy it if I wanted it THAT much. As for clothing stores, I don’t really go to a store just because everyone else is I just go there because I like it, but it is definitely a great way to show your originality in the clothes you wear.
I mean, it’s really about what you’re comfortable doing and the people you surround yourself with, because if you feel like yourself, then that’s the best place to be, even if you are following a trend or being a crazy nerd or anything.
Fantastic post, Lucy! <33
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Zoe @ Bookhi
18 August, 2013 at 4:15 pmLUCY, WHY CAN’T YOU COME TO MY SCHOOL? I am not ashamed to admit that I’m a geek either. I hate it when people are looked down for reading because I have no idea how slipping into a new world can possibly be “uncool”. And don’t even get me started on this ‘fake geek revolution’ that has come into fashion. Like you said, there are people wearing GEEK tops with big glasses on Facebook yet they are not nerds at all. They look down on us which really bugs me. But I’m proud to be a geek… PREACH *shouts through a megaphone* 😉
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Ruby
18 August, 2013 at 7:58 pmGreat post! 🙂 I really annoys me that people wear these “geek” tops despite the fact they couldn’t care less about their education. One girl in my English class – believe me, I don’t know why she’s in it – thought Jane Austen was a guy because she’d only ever heard the surname… and yet she owns one of those “geek” tops and glasses. Urgh she couldn’t care less about knowledge or learning!
On the other hand, I am a nerd on SO many levels! Luckily my English teacher is really appreciative of that and gives me long lists of books I might enjoy! 🙂 But yes, I feel as if some teens might like the idea of being a geek, but when it comes into practice they don’t. I am one of the few people in my year who reads often and I pride myself on that. 😀
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Alise
18 August, 2013 at 9:34 pmLove this post! Kids these days lack imagination, and I am so shocked when the kid who reads gets looked down upon when compared to the kid who says “I never read books,” which gets a whole bunch of laughter. Apparently stupidity is the new popularity, so I am definitely glad to be a geek! 🙂
Alise @ Readers in Wonderland
Sarah @ TotalTeenFiction
19 August, 2013 at 9:29 amOh the oversized glasses thing bothers me SO much! I commented on a photo on Facebook once saying I liked a girl’s glasses, and she commented they were just fake ones and she didn’t need them. Then she told me she was jealous I actually need glasses :’) I found that really weird! I mean I’ve come to love and embrace my glasses because they’re part of me – I can’t live without them. But to be jealous of something which is technically something wrong with a part of your body?! No matter how much I love my glasses, I’d still much rather be able to see!
I think this whole “geek as a fashion” thing will just be another phase, and in a few months time people will be ditching those shirts and moving onto the next thing. I bet if the next fad was shirts that had “dumb” written on then exactly the same people would buy them :p in the mean time, those of us who are actually happy to be geeks and embrace that part of our lives can carry on flaunting it! I’d be happy to wear a geek shirt for years and years because I feel it’s something that reflects my personality 😀
I hope my little ramble made sense. Great post as always Lucy!
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Rita @ Weaving Pages
19 August, 2013 at 10:46 amI completely understand what you’re saying. I read. Somehow, that makes me weird, along with the fact that I actually try hard in class and join in. Instead of trying to be all ‘cool’ and being all miserable. My friends try hard too, in class. Suddenly we’ve become the smart people in our class and are expected to know EVERYTHING and do EVERYTHING right. I’m sorry to break it to those people, but I’m not perfect. I’m human. Can’t people understand that? Then, there is the fact I read. I carry a book in my bag, I read in my spare time. I LIKE reading. Somehow, these two things combined, mean that people get annoyed with me for reading and talking about books (I don’t see what the problem is but…) and I’ve actually been told that “I have no life”. What really upsets me, is that these people barely know me…..they don’t take the time to know me, so they just assume that I don’t have a life beyond what happens in school. This really annoys me! Also, I’m not one to follow the crowd. I wear what I want, decide not to look like I’ve fallen face first into a make-up bag, and I read. I honestly don’t see the problem. I’m just glad, that I have friends who don’t think like the other people, and though some may follow the trends, they still accept me for who I am, and what I like doing, instead of just judging. I’m thankful for those people. Unfortunately, I’m not as happy about the rest….Honestly, all I want to say to those people is “I’m Sorry.” In the end, it’s them who’ll come off worse 🙂
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Emma
19 August, 2013 at 6:56 pmI’m probably a lot older than most of your commenters, but I just wanted to say that anyone who gives you a hard time for trying hard at school or being a ‘geek’ is an idiot. Once you get out of school you’ll find that exactly those qualities you’re being teased for now are the ones that will help you lead a rewarding and successful life. In the long run, they’ll be the losers, not you.
Caroline Taylor
21 August, 2013 at 7:33 pmI am significantly older than a teenager too but the ‘geek’ fashion really bothers me as I know that a lot of people wearing it will be the sort who actually make fun of someone for doing something geeky. Plus usually there will be nothing geeky or quirky about the majority of people wearing them, they are just sheep following the fashion fad.
Fiona H
19 August, 2013 at 10:05 pm(I’ve been bad at posting on blog posts lately, sorry!)
I just wanted to say at 24 I STILL get labelled as a ‘Geek’ or ‘Bookworm’ (It happened on the train just the other week when a load of drunk people around my age got on and I asked them to stop mucking around) I’d much rather be me than try to blend in with all the people who waste money on drinking and then drinking so much they forget. Where is the fun in that?
Teenagers and young people boggle my mind. This is why I love you blogger because we all have similar feelings on the matter and we understand why we do what we do
<3
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VeganYANerds
20 August, 2013 at 3:36 amI know people at school can be a pain now, but real life is so different and there will be so many more people who you’ll be able to relate to. Try not to let annoying ppl at school get to you. Everyone should be want they want to be, and I don’t think most people understand what geek/nerd even means!
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Kate
20 August, 2013 at 9:36 amYou’re your own person and you should be so proud of who you are, Lucy. Always enjoy being you. (Those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter.)
Ashley
8 September, 2013 at 1:35 pmGreat post! 😀 I think I show my geekiness through my love of coding and gaming, and how I apply those into real life. I’m known to walk into a grocery store and be like, “I need to CTRL+F for some peanut butter.”
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Ovellia
10 October, 2013 at 1:49 pmIn my school, I don’t know of any people wearing fake glasses, but I know of many students who wear black-framed glasses! Most of the boys use them, and they looked so geeky and smart! I would have fallen for the trick if I had not known them! It’s kinda sad, because I like smart boys! They tend to be quiet and disciplined! Now, whenever I see a boy wearing black framed glasses, I just assume that he’s one of the popular guys and absolutely not geeky.
So, whenever I see someone cute and geeky, I know the geeky part is just some look. The most reliable way to know whether someone’s a geek is whether they are holding a novel!
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