Nerd VS Geek Insulting habits

 

(Note I have set with this post hidden for nearly three months.  I didn't open post it at the time because I wanted to let myself cool off before posting and to also prevent some faculty at my sons school from happening across it and then making things worse for my son and the other students.  Since then other things have happened so I am reposting it today with this note)  

Recap: I teach/host/herd a group of young people between the ages of 5-14 in doing makers projects at my sons school. Many of the young people doing the projects are the kids you would normally find fitting comfortably in a local comic shop, playing D and D or doing a blog.  

They are us 20 years ago ( ok me anyway).  I was a member of the AV squad....I was also the president, treasurer and only member for a couple of years.  It got me out of class a lot and that was why I did it.  I was also picked on a lot. The more I was picked on the more Geeky things I did.  

Jump forward 20 years to today.  When I refer to our group it's always Makers Club.  When the School Staff talk with me about it they also refer to it as Makers Club.  During a trip down the hall this morning I heard a staff member talking about our group as the nerd crew. I was instantly pissed. 

Here is the rub I have also heard the kids referred to as Geeklings.  Now this didn't bother me then although on reflection I have begun to wonder if I should of been upset then as well.  I personally tend to happily identify with being a geek although I have never bitten the head of a chicken.  Geekiness is something I tend to celebrate. 

But Nerd, nerd was the word people used in calling me names, insulting me, basically all the terrible parts of growing.  Being overweight and large I wasn't bullied physically often and the few times I was a bear hug took care of the problem.  But verbal assaults were the norm. 

So the question for today is am I letting my own experience with life color my perception of the comment I overheard or is the other person continuing the bullying and abuse they performed as a teen.  My other concern is that teachers and staff at the school should not be calling any of their students nerds or geeks even in the third person. 

So to you dear reader and fellow geek am I letting my skin be to thin and projecting my past on to a new situation or is the this a symptom unconscious bullying on the parts of the adults?   

 

 

Photo by icantcu

Views: 436

Tags: bullying, calling, geeks, name, nerds

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Comment by Teknophyl on March 26, 2013 at 7:49pm

Really good read. 

In my opinion, with few exceptions, it all depends on context. 

You're his dad. He would know exactly what the difference was between you calling him a "geek", and a staff member doing it in a derogatory fashion.

My concern comes more from the actual act of labeling a kid in a derogatory manner, no matter what the term. Adults know better than this, and its no wonder so many of our kids do it to their peers just because they are different-er than they are.

Comment by Glenn Gass on March 11, 2013 at 12:31am

Thank You for your comments.  

Comment by Ian stephenson on March 7, 2013 at 2:17pm

Totally agree. Staff should know better.

More generally I have no problem being a Geek - reclaim the word. Geeks do cool stuff.

Nerd is an insult.

A Nerd is the sort of person who spends $2000 on a new graphics card so he can get 120fps instead of 80fps when playing WoW, and thinks that makes him cool. A geek would pull the old card out of a machine they found in a skip (round the back of the nerds house ;-)), and hack the drivers to make it dance (and NEVER play WoW on it!).

Comment by Russell Collins on March 7, 2013 at 12:48pm

I don't think you are. You are right that faculty shouldn't be giving the kids any kind of nickname that could be deemed rude or inappropriate. If the students see the teachers doing it, they learn that it's ok to use terms like that. However, I don't think it's an issue that needs to blown too out of proportion, at least not yet.

Personally, the advice I would give is to talk to the staff member who you heard make the comment. Calmly explain to them that you heard what they called the group and you didn't appreciate it. If you feel comfortable, explain about how that work makes you feel and the impact it has on the students. Let them know that they probably didn't mean any  harm, they were just using a word, but ask that they call the group by their name. Of course, if that doesn't work or you feel like they aren't giving they aren't listening, then you should take it up with the principle.

Most of the time adults forget the impact of simple words and words that can be considered deragatory, at least the more minor ones. With groups like The Geek Squad and shows like King of the Nerds, these words have become almost commonplace. It's a shame that words word like that, and even ones that are offensive to other groups are still allowed, but with discussions like these we can slowly start to hopefully bring awarness to the issue. Thank you for the wonderful post.

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