I’m happy to say that I think this cultural dynamic is beginning to die out, especially among younger generations. The line has got more blurry than ever, nerds play sports and jocks play video games. It is still perpetuated by some media outlets and some jerks out there that nerds live in their mom’s basement and jocks are the supreme beings of our society. But the bottom line is people are starting to see video games as a more acceptable past time. They are starting to get the idea that nerds are responsible for many of the good things in life. eSports may also be a contributing factor to this development. People are starting to make money from playing video games, just as people started making money from playing sports a century or so ago.
There are still signs of resistance against the nerds. Recently some guy from ESPN said he would quit if he had to provide coverage of eSports. This is exactly the sort of attitude that perpetuates stereotypes and keeps the hate train rolling down the tracks. Its okay though progress takes time.
Another cool thing is that a cool nerd culture is rising. I think this development goes hand in hand with the rise of other sub cultures within the United States. It seems as if more people are celebrating what they do and instead of turning their back on the activities of others they look to enjoy the best of what that sub culture has to offer. There doesn’t have to be one form of entertainment via cable television. With the internet, people can choose to consume the type of media that fits their fancy best.
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