Why Nerds are Unpopular, and what I aim to do about it.

           In the piece “Why Nerds are Unpopular”  by Paul Graham, he talks about his experience growing up as a nerd. Graham argues that the reason nerds are more successful after school is they did real, useful activities/projects while still in school.

           First off, I need to say that I have had the good luck to not experience much of what is in Graham’s essay, due to my being homeschooled. I am somewhat of a nerd myself. But I have always just hung out with other nerds, and nobody picked on me because of it. In the last few years (AKA since I became a teen), I hang out with the popular nerds. It seems to me that in this day and age, it is cool to be a nerd.
            Anyway, enough about me. They honed skills they would need in the real world, such as computer programming. These days, schools mostly teach skills that while very (somewhat?) important, have little practical use in life. The “popular” kids spend a lot of their time staying popular, while the nerds can spend their time learning. As a homeschooler, I personally love the fact that I can learn stuff that is useful to me. For example, I am currently working towards building a 3-D printer. Along the way, I’m learning how to use a wide range of skills, among them: how electricity works; how to put mechanical items together (or take them apart again); and a wide range of other skills that I can use in the real world. I highly doubt many high-school kids are doing the same stuff.
           Maybe this is just a sign of the changing times. Up until maybe 50 years ago, kids would have jobs/internships/ starting as young as 8 years old. They would learn a trade, and within a few years would be quite good at it. Today, kids don’t really get to do anything that has a lasting impact until they are around 21.
However, there is a bright side to all this. I have personally noticed that in recent years it has become “cool” to be a nerd, and I’m seeing more and more kids who want to learn, not just because they have to, but because they can do cool things with their knowledge. I hope this trend continues.
           So what can we change with the system? For one, even if you are in school, you can spend some of your free time building a 3-D printer like I am, or maybe a LEGO record player, or something else cool. Learn to program (there are numerous good textbooks for this), build a cool toy, or whatever you want to do. Also, share what you are doing with friends, try to get a few of them interested as well. That’s what I will be doing, care to join me?