Nerd

Nerd
A nerdy bedroom
Decade of origin	1950s
Key colours	Any colours. Red, green, brown, blue and grey particularly
Related aesthetics	Art Academia Chaotic Academia Cosplay Game Night Geek Nintencore Preppy Spacecore Studyblr Vintage Vintage Academia Web Creep Writer Academia
Related media	The Big Bang Theory, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, The IT Crowd

The term "nerd" originated in the 1950s from a Dr Seuss book, and has been used for introverted, geeky and smart culture and people ever since. Nerds will often be seen as lacking socially, and have many stereotypes surrounding what they're like (for example, wearing glasses). Nerdy hobbies and interests are a big part of this aesthetic, which include sci fi and fantasy, video games and board games, STEM subjects (Science Technology Engineering Maths) and other similar topics.

Visual

Nerds don't have a specific style that is always followed, although anything which aligns with typically nerdy interests will make the look instantly nerdier. Any maths, physics, science or nerdy interest based clothing seems nerdy, even without the stereotypical glasses. Although being a nerd doesn't tend to have a specific look, they generally won't look trendy or extremely fashionable, unless nerdy fashion has come into the mainstream for a bit.

The general look is usually seem as a shirt and tie, or nerdy t-shirt and jeans but there really isn't any specific guidelines to follow to look nerdy.

Interests

• Sci fi

Nerds often like science fiction based media, such as Doctor Who, Star Trek and Star Wars. Watching sci fi shows and movies isn't all that there is to this interest, as many of the board games and video games some nerds will play will have sci fi elements to them.

• Fantasy

Fantasy books, tv shows, and games are usually paired along with the sci fi interest, as the two genres cross over greatly. The fantasy genre can go anywhere from superhero shows to D&D, Lord of the Rings to anime.

• Video games

Video games are a common nerdy interest and along with it can come a love of computers and technology. Video games often have fantasy or science fiction elements and this can be a big part of the interest. These are also great for introverts, which is often seen as a part of being a nerd, as most games don't require you to speak to anyone, at least in person.

• Board games

As with video games, board games can often have sci fi or fantasy components to them (talking to you, Dungeons and Dragons!), although since some, such as chess, are more logic based, they still fit into the interest. Since nerds often value knowledge, games based on problem-solving and logic components also fit perfectly into this category.

• Science

Nerds often value curiosity, and science can explain everything that happens, even if we aren't always sure yet. If nerds get the chance, they'll usually want to ask questions about how things work.

• Physics

Similarly to science (since it is a type of science!) physics explains things which otherwise wouldn't be understood. Of course, theoretical physics is a whole other matter! Since not knowing which is the right theory can definitely make one curious, this is often seen as a particularly nerdy branch of physics, also considering the difficulty of the maths.

• Technology

This is very much a nerdy topic, despite how large an area it can be seen to be covering. Coding and computer science are things which explain computers, which are a thing which nerds generally love, so it makes sense that these go together.

• Maths

Maths on its own is nerdy enough, but when you look at the other interests, it only makes sense for maths to make the list. Physics needs maths to explain it, science is similar, technology is based around coding which runs on maths in a way. Maths is necessary for many of the other nerdy hobbies.

• Reading

Since knowledge is such a big component to the values of nerds, they'll often enjoy reading, and read about their nerdy interests such as sci fi novels, fantasy books, theoretical physics non fiction and whatever their personal interests are. Reading often makes its way into the other interests, but it is its own thing so it qualifies as a full interest as it is a very broad subject.

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