If you ask most people they would say that nerds are annoying. But they also say that they love shows like The Big Bang Theory and The IT Crowd. These shows show nerds as accomplished scientists, parents and loyal friends. They do not, however, show a typical nerd being ridiculed by the bullies of school. Nerds find their unpopularity much more bearable if it merely caused them to be ignored. Unfortunately, to be a nerd in modern society is to be actively persecuted.
Nerds are viewed as stupid, annoying and unnatractive, because they are socially awkward, do not care about their appearance and do not take part in the latest fashion or party trends. It is these qualities that make them easy targets for bullying. But the problem is that it is not just a small group of kids that are attacking them, it is the majority of the population, because it’s simply the way the world works.
Popularity is not just about individual attractiveness, it’s a lot more about alliances. And there is nothing that brings people closer together than attacking an outsider. It is this reason why we see a lot of kids banding together to pick on nerds, it’s not personal. If it is any consolation to nerds to know that the group of kids who are picking on them are doing exactly the same thing as the bunch of guys who get together and go hunting; they don’t actually hate you, but they do need something to chase.
