To be called a geek or a nerd is not as derogatory as many might assume.
A professor speaking at “Friending Facebook: The (Re) Construction of Self and Other,” a seminar held on ASU’s Tempe campus Friday, explained why.
Bambi Haggins, center director and associate professor at ASU’s Film and Media Studies Department, gave a speech titled “I’m a Geek Girl, Hear Me Roar.” She said “geekness” is a “badge of pride” and geek is a “self-proclaimed term of empowerment.”
The purpose of the seminar was to discuss social media and how it affects people’s social outlook.
Haggins did not talk much about Facebook. However, she talked about and provided a number of social networking websites that are targeted to “geeks,” such as geekgirlroaring.com and geekgirlsnetwork.com. She said she thinks geeks are a growing population.
“Geekness can be seen as a new pop culture,” Haggins said.
She said she qualifies as a geek because she is a fan of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” which was a television program on the Warner Brothers network during the 1990s. She also feels her love of comic books is a second qualifying factor.
Haggins also said geek is becoming more mainstream because the style of dress has become more acceptable.
Haggins defined the “geek-chic” style as involving glasses and a T-shirt that fits one’s personality, although she said clothing doesn’t make a person a geek.
“Geek is more than fashion, it’s an authentication of self,” Haggins said.
Students at ASU seem to agree with Haggins.
Brianna Tsatskin, a sustainability freshman, gave her opinion about the terms nerd and geek.
“A nerd is someone that is book-smart and school-oriented, whereas a geek is someone more into technology or hobbies like chess or building robots,” Tsatskin said.
Tsatskin said she thinks both terms are positive terms and doesn’t think either is derogatory.
“I think being called a nerd or a geek would be a compliment because it means you’re more focused on the rewarding things in life,” Tsatskin said.
Tsatskin is not the only student who thinks these terms are positive.
Brian Faith is an economics senior who considers himself “pretty nerdy.”
“A nerd is someone who goes against society’s idea of cool,” he said. “[A geek] is really good at doing something uncool like computer programming.”
Faith said his idea of cool is someone who fits into societal norms.
“Cool is wearing fashionable clothes and doing activities that people around you would approve of,” Faith said.
He said geeks are very similar to nerds.
“I think they are both positive terms because it means that [geeks and nerds] are doing what they want and are not bothered by what society tells them to do,” Faith said.
Reach the reporter at brian.bernadel@asu.edu
