Everyone is a nerd now, no one is a yuppie anymore!

The nerd has made it. The underdogs, the wirros, the freaks are now the supposed leading figures of popular culture. The digital industry is teeming with people who pretend to be nerds but are in fact simple hipsters. That’s not reprehensible, but the whole fuss is completely unnecessary. A brief comment on the perception of subculture and mainstream. In the digital industry.

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Played with computers as a child

I hear this once a week: “I was just more into it as a child, you know, with computers and soldering electronics”. Well, that’s our generation. There just wasn’t much else that was as interesting. And it’s also logical that all those who used to play around with electronics ended up disproportionately in IT. Just as those who were only in the forest are more likely to be lumberjacks today. As long as playing with computers as a child didn’t lead to any seriously cool things (and no, hanging out on IRC or CB simulators isn’t one of them), it’s not worth mentioning. Everyone did it.

The new chic: “Socially awkward”

Every now and then I come across people who are actually in a good mood, but suddenly have to act like Steve Jobs when dealing with people. In other words, they get abusive about nothing or suddenly shut up or whatever. Their behavior is simply: “Socially awkward”. What many people apparently don’t realize is that “real” nerds only put up with this because they are totally brilliant in other areas. And it only becomes an anecdote with people who have become really successful with their brilliance. Everyone else is just kind of tedious.

What I find funny about this chic is that it is fashionable at a time when the education system is apparently trying to parry even the slightest deviation with extra treatment. I’m currently experiencing this with one of my children in kindergarten. The child, from my point of view it couldn’t be more normal, is too quiet. It needs more time. And of course additional care (that’s what we call upselling, isn’t it?).

The new “suit”: Horn-rimmed glasses, beard and flannel shirt

I know a few real nerds. Those who are brilliant, intellectual and those who unfortunately are not. And then I know a lot of people who think they’re nerds but wear a beard, horn-rimmed glasses and a flannel shirt. Or sweaters. They are hipsters and hipsters are, no matter what they say, in the vast majority of cases yuppies.

(horn-rimmed glasses, beard and flannel shirt; components of the current uniform of the digital economy)

Now that’s okay per se. But to then constantly pretend to be pseudo-intellectual and philosophize, only to be unable to keep up in an initial reasonably brisk discussion, is a bit, well, embarrassing. Or explaining without being asked how intrinsically motivated you are, only to change companies two weeks later because they pay EUR 200 more. I’ve experienced it all.

Of course, these are all far too general statements. And I’m probably doing some people an injustice. But you also have to realize that hipsterism no longer has much in common with subculture. Rather, these outward appearances have become a new kind of (digital) business uniform, similar to the suit in the 80s.

People who do and those who don’t

Sometimes I smile at all the fashion. And I feel old. I still have a flannel shirt and I’ve had horn-rimmed glasses since the days when my mother used to say, “Oh, how awful! My father had one of those when I was 14”.

I’ve done pretty well in recent years by trying to stop paying attention to outward appearances. Sounds extremely trite, I know. But it’s not easy at all. You’re far too deeply entrenched in preconceived ideas. It’s almost impossible to break out. That’s not good.

And I don’t even want to know how many people dress up like that (beard, flannel shirt, horn-rimmed glasses) and are then parked in a corner. But that wouldn’t even be necessary. Because those who can get something going will make their way either way. The others remain mediocre, with or without a sweater.