Subculture: a social group within a national culture that has distinctive patterns of behavior and beliefs. Nerd: an intelligent but single-minded expert in a particular technical field or profession. What is Nerd Culture? That question makes me cringe. It sounds like something a TV reporter would say. Generalizing a concept into childlike terms to fit their audience. What is a Nerd? That question makes me cringe, but a bit less. Every person who makes the same Monty Python/Hitchhiker's Guide jokes, internet meme references, or t-shirts with words on them, you know who you are. The internet has all but killed any individuality we have as people. With the whole world connected, for any self-definitions that you have, there are guaranteed to be about 100+ other people with those exact same definitions. Why is nerd culture any different? When a defining characteristic of your subculture becomes a global phenomenon, something changes dramatically. Blog buzzwords of "geek chic" or "Better not bully a geek, he may be your boss someday." The same thing happened with countless other ideas. Yoga, vegan diet, tattoos, video games, innumerable fashion trends. Nerd culture is not different, it's just newer. After WWII we stereotyped all of Japan, Sushi, politeness, chop sticks, and samurai. Every subculture that reaches a critical population, eventually gets used for monetary gain. Nerd, black rimmed glasses, antisocial, good at using a computer, has no fashion sense, plays video games, likes D&D, reads comic books, is really good at school. This is the way we have stereotyped nerds. Personally, I fit some of these traits, but I wouldn't say I was a nerd. I know it's cliche to say, "I don't like to label myself" but who does. Old people do because they don't care, but they don't count. Nerds don't see themselves as nerds, they are just interested in the things they like. Unlike hipster culture, I use the term culture here lightly, if you call a hipster a hipster they will tell you that they are most certainly not, even though all of them drink PBR, listen to the newest local band, and ride the same fixed wheel bike. Nerd culture is special in that the people who are truly apart of the culture, don't really care about how other cultures see them, and they don't realize that they are part of a culture. It's like if people started idolizing salmon culture. Would the salmon really care? No, they are not cognizant of people caring about them. In ten years, there will be no nerd culture, it will be part of the national culture and with the advent of the internet and computers everyone will be a nerd. It's just like sports culture, it's not a culture because it is just part of life. As it will be with nerd culture. In my opinion as it stands now there is no nerd culture. Just people who enjoy the things that they enjoy. If my realization about nerd culture makes me not a nerd then so be it.