Was "nerd" something that was used as an intergenerational label? In my experience (USA) abuse towards "nerds" invariably came from peers, so I don't think it's

Was "nerd" something that was used as an intergenerational label? In my experience (USA) abuse towards "nerds" invariably came from peers, so I don't think it's a question of a generation of nerds growing up—in the generation that entered the workforce in the 2010s nerds were firmly a minority. What I'm seeing is that starting in the mid-2010s the number of high schoolers who identify as nerds has gone up dramatically, to the point where from what I've observed even the popular kids who end up surrounded with their own gang are about as likely to call themselves a nerd and engage in stereotypical nerdy activities as they are to be the football players.