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“Youngsters may have at best a vague and contradictory sense of what a nerd might be, but whether being called one means that you are unstylish, unhygienic, a teacher's pet, or a budding genius, the concept carries at its core the stigma of being a reject.”
Nerds
David Anderegg
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 256 pages, $24.95
That America’s technology future might depend on the preferences and prejudices of middle-schoolers is a frightening thought. It also appears counterintuitive, at least to the policy experts who try to redress the diminution of science literacy among Americans, as well as our declining number of graduates in math and science relative to other nations. In the face of growing competition from India and China, remedies most often discussed include improved teacher training, tax incentives, scholarships, and financial resources for advanced programs. None of which means anything to seventh graders faced with the stark dichotomy between being “cool” and being a “nerd.”
David Anderegg
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 256 pages, $24.95
That America’s technology future might depend on the preferences and prejudices of middle-schoolers is a frightening thought. It also appears counterintuitive, at least to the policy experts who try to redress the diminution of science literacy among Americans, as well as our declining number of graduates in math and science relative to other nations. In the face of growing competition from India and China, remedies most often discussed include improved teacher training, tax incentives, scholarships, and financial resources for advanced programs. None of which means anything to seventh graders faced with the stark dichotomy between being “cool” and being a “nerd.”
In Nerds, David Anderegg, a psychology professor at Bennington College as well as a child therapist in private practice, sees in the seemingly trivial experience of preadolescent name-calling serious implications for individuals as well as for our economy at large. He argues that the programs to promote science education preferred by policy wonks close the barn door long after the horses have fled. By the time kids reach fifth or sixth grade, he says, millions of promising students have already made an attitudinal shift away from the rigorous study necessary for a career in science or engineering. As they mature and broaden their perspectives, even those who rediscover scientific interests are, as a result, years behind in terms of preparation compared to their peers in other countries.
To explain this phenomenon, Anderegg takes us into the minds of pre-teens. For adults or even high school kids, the nerd stigma can be a joke; “geek chic” actually enhances the image of certain performers such as Tina Fey or Moby. But according to Anderegg, nerd stereotyping among youngsters often creates identify crisis well ahead of identity formation. He shows us how their limited knowledge of the world, anxieties about puberty, and assault by a barrage of negative media images make academic excellence—especially excellence in science—appear self-destructive. For 10-year-olds already anxious about the hormonal forces about to overtake them, suddenly finding themselves labeled “nerd” supercharges every insecurity about social acceptance and the coming of sexuality. Youngsters may have at best a vague and contradictory sense of what a nerd might be, but whether being called one means that you are unstylish, unhygienic, a teacher’s pet, or a budding genius, the concept carries at its core the stigma of being a reject in the mating game. As far as the child knows, nerdiness—like acne or menarche—might be one of those things that just happens, and who can argue if the other kids say you fit the description? The only safe course is to ditch the eyeglasses, start wearing a different kind of jeans, and above all disavow any interest in math, science, or technology.
