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If you spent twenty years being called a "smart kid" and then went to a job where all the smart kids end up, then you may have a rock-solid self-image. Growing
by bradleyjg 5y ago
If you spent twenty years being called a "smart kid" and then went to a job where all the smart kids end up, then you may have a rock-solid self-image.
Growing up as a smart kid interested in computers from 1976-1996 was a very different experience than the same from 2001-2021.
- klodolph 5y agoLike everything else, it's contextual.
- majormajor 5y agoI don't know what growing up in the 2000s was like, but my experience in your referenced time frame is like the person you replied to: it's not gonna make you popular, it's not gonna make you friends with the cheerleaders, it might be part of an overall miserable experience - but being interested in computers certainly wasn't going to make anyone stop telling you you're smart.
- erdos4d 5y agoAs someone who is closer to the 76-96 timeframe, could you give some insights into how you feel this has changed? I actually would like to know how the younger generation of nerds is faring these days, but I don't know any to ask.
- anonfornoreason 5y agoFrom what I can see, it's much more acceptable to be nerdy. I have some younger cousins and nieces/nephews who have recently graduated high school or are currently about to start. It seems much easier to find a niche and not get bullied for being good in school or with technology. In other words, revenge of the nerds. Every toy out there is now STEM in some way (either in actuality or in branding), and everyone realizes that tech is more likely to make money.