A Whole New Life: Am I a Geek?

My son keeps calling me a Geek, and I don’t know how to take it. Is he insulting me? Is he complimenting me? What is he saying about me when he calls me a geek? In my day a geek was a derogatory term, so should I ground him for being rude? I decided to go to the internet, as I always do to see what being a geek means.

The Urban Dictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com/) defines geek as:

“Not to be confused with . A geek does not have to be smart, a geek is someone who is generally not athletic, and enjoys Video Games; Comic Books; being on the internet, and etc.

[i]

It then uses the word geek in a sentence: “Only a geek would waste their time on the internet, defining geek on Urbandictionary.com.”

I love the definition and maybe I am a geek, if I went on line to define it. I liked how it differentiated a geek from a nerd; Maybe I am more of a nerd—that sounds more intelligent. But I wasn’t satisfied, so I turned to Wikipedia, which defined geek as:

“The word geek is a slang term originally used to describe eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast or a person obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit, with a general pejorative meaning of a ‘peculiar person, especially one who is perceived to be overly intellectual, unfashionable, or socially awkward.’

“Although often considered as a pejorative, the term is also used self-referentially without malice or as a source of pride. Its meaning has evolved to connote "someone who is interested in a subject (usually intellectual or complex) for its own sake."[ii]

I liked Wikipedia’s definition of geek, especially when it quoted the Colbert Report, “The Colbert Report, Richard Clarke said the difference between nerds and geeks is "geeks get it done" or "ggid."[iii]

Now I like that quote—geeks get things done!!! And I do, including raising five children and one husband.

The Wikipedia article also gave the etymology of the English word as coming from “English dialect geek or geck (meaning a "fool" or "freak.)" It even mentioned that as of 1976 (when I was still young), “The 1976 edition of the American Heritage Dictionary included only the definition regarding geek shows. This variation of the term was used to comic effect in an episode of popular 1970s TV show Sanford & Son.”[iv]

Well, I hope I am not as much of a geek in a geek show as the 1970s and 1980s sitcoms. But I have had my days that resemble I Love Lucy. Usually when I involved as a mom. Enough said about that—maybe I am a “geck,” not a geek.

Then Wikipedia explains the categories of geeks: “Such as: science geeks, math geeks (maths geeks, in British English), computer geeks, history geeks, gaming geeks, etc. In Silicon Valley parlance, a geek is a software or hardware engineer.^”[v] In explaining the impact of geeks, Wikipedia makes them VERY IMPORTANT IN TODAY’S LIFE: “Technologically oriented geeks, in particular, now exert a powerful influence over the global economy and society.^”[vi]

However, when Wikipedia quoted Mark Roeder’s Unnatural Selection: Why The Geeks
Will Inherit the Earth, I humbly beg to disagree. Roeder suggests that "the high-tech environment of the Anthropocene favours people with geek-like traits, many of whom are on the autism spectrum, ADHD, or dyslexia. Previously, such people may have been at a disadvantage, but now their unique cognitive traits enable some of them to resonate with the new technological zeitgeist and become very successful."[vii] (Maybe some geeks cannot spell ‘favors” correctly, either, or they are from England.)

I draw the line that geeks have learning disabilities and that is what makes them suited to technology. I know many geeks that are normal, except for their eccentric devotion to math, history, computers, science and gaming. I know many nerds who are not as smart as geeks.

So am I a geek as my son claims? I think I am, if you take WhatIs.com’s definition of a geek: “In computers and the Internet, a geek is a person who is inordinately dedicated to and involved with technology. As computer technology becomes less frightening to larger numbers of people, society seems to be developing a more tolerant, even benevolent view of the geek. In some circles, it is considered a compliment to be called a geek because the term implies a high level of competence.”[viii]

As I worked for almost 20 years in computer technology fields, and I love computers almost as much as my children (but not as much as my husband), I guess I can accept that definition. However, I don’t have autism, ADHD, or dyslexia as the one article defined geeks, so I reject that pejorative designation, as well as that of not being athletic. I accept that I like science, history, computers and the internet, but gaming and comic books are not my most favorite things.

Thank you, Son; I accept your compliment that I am indeed a geek or maybe only a half-geek. But you are a major GEEK, according to the sources I’ve quoted. However, I could probably have found 20 other definitions of geek, and in another 20 years, maybe it will be something entirely different. Maybe geeks will be a species of their own, by then.

Being called a geek isn’t too bad, Son. I’ll rescind your grounding, and increase your allowance.