I 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 p

I 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.