IDEA project outline. (As a "DANG IT I'VE LEFT MY USB AT HOME! backup.)

The Effect of Nerdfighters on its Teenage Members Today

Thesis: The community created by Hank and John Green, known as Nerdfighters, has positively impacted teenagers’ knowledge of the wider world, literature, science, and music, as well as their ability to accept diversity and their interest in the well-being of their peers around the world.
I. Basic Background Information
A. The Nerdy Basics
1. Nerd Origin
a. The word is generally recognized as having come from Dr. Seuss’ “If I Ran the Zoo,” in which the narrator, Gerald McGrew, states that he would collect “a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too” for his zoo.
b. Phillip K. Dick claimed to have coined the similar “nurd.”
2. The Common Connotation
a. Origin of Connotation
i. In 1951. Newsweek reported on its popularity in Detroit.
ii. A 1965 Rensslaer PTI used “knurd” (the word “drunk” backwards) to describe someone who would prefer to stay in and study as opposed to party.
iii. In the 1960’s, the term spread throughout the US and Scotland as a popular synonym for “square” or “drip.” Only now did it begin to take on the current association with bookishness and social ineptitude.
3. What Makes a Nerd, a Nerd
a. Nerd Definition
i. “Nerd” is a term often used in a derogatory way to describe someone who passionately pursues intellectual activities or other obscure interests, rather than engage in more popular or social activities. Nerds are often excluded from physical activities by their peers and are considered loners. They often tend to associate with other, like-minded individuals.
ii. “...because nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff. Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can’t-control- yourself love it... when people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is, “You like stuff.” Which is just not a good insult at all. Like, ‘you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.’
b. Nerd Stereotypes and Characteristics
i. Intelligent but socially and physically awkward. Most people assume that all nerds are unfit- either very thin and weak or extremely obese.
ii. In the movies, they are often seen as white males with glasses, braces, acne, and highly lifted up pants, and many sport pocket protectors. There is also a common stereotype about young Asian males.
iii. Nerds commonly focus in things considered either overly mature or too young for them- nerds will tend to have a passion for math, science, technology, and classic literature, or trading cards, comics, RPGs, fantasy, and science fiction. These passions also lead to a stereotype that all nerds suffer from OCD, and have an extreme devotion to the rules and the ”nerdy” things that they love.
c. Nerd Pride
i. As the computer industry rose, “nerdy” technologically savvy people gained large fortunes and prestige, and the connotation became less about awkwardness and more about smarts.
ii. People began to realize that some nerdiness is good- intelligent, respectful, and interesting people earn more money.
(a) “My idea is to present an image to children that it is good to be intellectual, and not to care about peer pressures to be anti-intellectual. I want every child to turn into a nerd- where that means someone who prefers studying and learning to competing for social dominance, which can unfortunately cause the downward spiral into social rejection.” –Katie Hanfner as quoted by the New York Times, 29 Aug. 1993
(b) “Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.” –Charles J. Sykes
iii. TV shows, movies, and the media started to encourage nerdiness- see such things as Revenge of the Nerds in 1984, Nerdator, and FC Nerds.
(a) “...What they lack in physical strength, they make up in brain power. Who writes all the best selling books? Nerds. Who directs the top grossing Hollywood movies? Nerds. Who creates the highly advanced technology that only they can understand? ...Nerds. And who are the people who run for the high office of the Presidency? No one but nerds.” –ep. “Nerdator,” Freakazoid
(b) The news website, Slashdot, bears the slogan, “News for nerds. Stuff that matters.”
iv. Celebrations of Nerdiness
(a) Nerd Pride Day – May 25 in Spain ever since 2006
(b) Nerdcore hip hop- MC Plus +, MC Hawking, MC Frontalot
(c) Nerdcore webcomics- Penny Arcade, User Friendly, PvP, Megatokyo
(d) Nerdfighters!
B. The Nerdfighter Basics
1. Brotherhood 2.0 and the Vlogbrothers
a. Founded in Jan. 2007 by Hank as a year long project between Hank and John
b. Planned to spend a year communicating only through video, phone, and other forms of non-text related communication
c. Continued the project after 2007, amassing over 75 million views, 1.1 million Twitter followers, and nearly 800 videos.
2. John Green
a. Born August 24, 1977, he is the older Green brother and New York Times bestselling author.
i. Looking for Alaska- a novel about a boy named Pudge who is obsessed with the last words of famous people, and his experiences and growth at a private school in Alabama with his new friends Takumi, the Colonel, and an unforgettable girl named Alaska.
(a) “Thomas Edison’s last words were, “It’s very beautiful over there. I don’t know where there is, but I believe it’s somewhere, and I hope it’s beautiful.”
ii. An Abundance of Katherines- Chronicles the crazy road trip of an anagram-obsessed, washed-out child prodigy Colin who has dated (and been dumped by) nineteen different girls all named Katherine, and his mission to discover a formula that will predict the future of any and every relationship.
(a) “Books are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they’ll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they’ll always love you back.”
iii. Paper Towns- Quentin has always idolized and adored the fantastic and perfect Margo Roth Spiegelman. But when Margo takes him on a wild, all-night-long adventure and then leaves with nothing but a morbid series of clues, Quentin is forced to realize that even those we deem perfect have problems with their self-image and beliefs.
(a) “"Look at all those cul-de-sacs, the streets that turn in on themselves all the houses that were built to fall apart. All those paper people in their paper houses burning the furniture to stay warm. All the paper kids drinking the beer some bum bought for them at the paper convenience store. Everyone demented with the mania of owning things. All the things paper-thin and paper-frail."
iv. Will Grayson, Will Grayson (co-wr. w/ David Levithan) – In which two characters named Will Grayson (one, JG’s, who is trying desperately to live life without being noticed, while also being friends with a man who is described as ‘the largest person who is also very, very, gay’, and the other, DL’s, who is struggling with depression and a complex relationship with online friend who is actually made up by his enemy Maura) meet up and deal with their problems and their individual relationships with the large and gay Tiny.
(a) “Tiny Cooper is not the world’s gayest person, and he is not the world’s largest person, but I believe he may be the world’s largest person who is really, really gay, and also the gayest person who is also really, really large.”
v. Has won the 2009 Edgar Award, the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award, and has twice been a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
vi. He was also a New York Times Book Review and Booklist reviewer.
vii. Short story titles include, “The Approximate Cost of Loving Caroline,” “Great American Morp,” and “Zombiecorns,” the last of which is not about zombie unicorns, but instead, zombies who worship corn.
b. Besides writing his own books, he enjoys religion (he’s Episcopalian), Mark Twain, the last words of famous people, Judy Bloom, literature, librarians, books, and conjoined twins.
c. While Hank was the one who came up with the idea for Brotherhood 2.0, it is really John’s project.
d. Another of John’s memorable quotes on nerds (besides the “you like stuff” one) is the following: “Saying, ‘I notice that you’re a nerd’ is like saying, ‘Hey, I notice that you’d rather be intelligent than be stupid, that you’d rather be thoughtful than vapid, that you believe that there are things that matter more than the arrest record of Lindsay Lohan.”
3. Hank Green
a. Born May 5, 1980, Hank is the younger Green brother. He lives in Missoula, MT.
b. Where John in the literary nerd, Hank prefers science and mathematics. He has however, written for the magazine mental_floss on numerous occasions, and also wrote an article for the New York Times on July 24, 2010. He has also done work for the Weather Channel, Planet Green, NPR’s All Thing’s Considered, Air America’s The Young Turks, and Forcast Earth.
c. Hank is the founder and editor in chief of “EcoGeek,” a website that combines intelligence and nerdiness with a desire to save the earth.
d. Officially, his job is “webpage designer,” but he also likes music, corn dogs, books, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and guitar.
4. Nerdfighters
a. Origin
i. The term was first coined in a February 1, 2007 video titled, “In Which John Miraculously Uploads a Video in the Savannah Airport Desite Not Having a Power Cord,” when John discovers an arcade name titled ‘Nerd Fighters.’
ii. The term gained its current connotation later in that same month, with John’s ongoing lecture on the “war between nerds and popular people” and “people who fight with their brains.”
iv. On February 15, 2007, John said, for the first time, the quote that any Nerdfighter will say if asked what a Nerdfighter is- “A Nerdfighter is like a regular person, except instead of being composed out of tissues and cells and organs, they are made entirely out of awesome.”
b. Definition
i. Someone who fits most or some of the nerdy characteristics- intelligent, intellectual, dedicated, slightly obsessive- and who is also determined to make the world a better place through charity and positivity. Nerdfighters generally visit the Nerdfighter Ning and the website Your Pants fairly regularly, watch the Vlogbrothers videos, and participate in their projects whenever possible.
ii. Nerdfighters are known to generally have one or several of the following “powers,” or nerdy interests, among others.
(a.) Harry Potter, Weird Al, word, English, Dungeons and Dragons, rock climbing, band, guitar, computers, mathematics, literature, video games, opera, hippy, Wikipedia, the Muppets, musical theatre, comic books, classic RPGs, Grammar Nazi, Doctor Who, StarKidPotter, the Lord of the Rings, space, vaulting, gymnastics, Glee, history, or language.
II. Effects
A. What Nerdfighters say are some key components.
1. “[...Someone who] is interested in he world around them, and works to decrease world suck and increase world awesome in whatever way they choose (sometimes that could be monetarily like donating to the Project for Awesome, sometimes that could be by doing something cool, sometimes that could be by doing something kind... the options are limitless!)”
2. “A pursuit of knowledge and a willingness to make a change for the betterment of the world.”
3. “...Dedication, [a] thirst for knowledge, [a] sense of humor, [and wanting to be] a generally good person.
4. “A desire to become a Nerdfighter- that’s the only requirement to become a Nerdfighter. However, most Nerdfighters tend to be nerdy (naturally) about all sorts of things, awesome, and they want to make the world suck less.”
5. Basically, the most important parts of Nerdfighters are an interest in learning, a desire to make the world better and more interesting! If one wants to pursue betterment and knowledge, then they are already Nerdfighters.
B. Why Nerdfighters think the group is worth studying.
1. “...Nerdfighters are an interesting example of internet communities, where the community didn’t come together based around some sort of fictional media... or around a common place...but instead around people, and the ideas those people espouse. And it’s overwhelmingly positive, as an internet community... It’s also... a good example of a community forming a common vocabulary and syntax based around common experience, and how new members of that community are socialized through that shared vocabulary (in less pretentious terms, we’ve got inside jokes, and lots of them.)”
2. “It merits research because it’s phenomenal that just two people have started a whole community of awesome much bigger than just them. It is a testament on how amazing human beings can be if we work together for good, that just two brothers have started this whole thing through just a set of video logs.” (Honora Johnston)
3. “...we are anonymous... and can choose not to reveal our real names and faces. In many cases, this can result in deindividuation [where someone, in the right circumstances or surroundings, can lose their sense of self and do horrible things they might not do normally, say, if there were a chance that the deed could be traced back to them] and all sorts of nasty things. So online communities like this one are without all the social constructs, an area ripe for research. Nerdfighteria in particular is interesting because people are, for the most part, generally civil. Creativity and discussion are encouraged rather than conformity.”
4. In summary, it is a group founded solely on the ideas and actions of two people, and has evolved to become something far larger. Also, it is without most of the usual issues caused by internet anonymity, where people use their ability to function without risk of punishment to be rude and impolite, and instead support each other and learn from each other.
C. When faced with the concern many adults raise when it comes to cyber bullying and internet communication, Nerdfighters responded as so:
1. “This is always valid, but on the flip side, just as you may meet many negative people you never would have spoken to otherwise, you also come into contact with positive people that build friendships with you that you never would have otherwise. This is near and dear to my heart, as I was bullied and friendless in middle school, but found comfort and friendship online. my main advice for parents is for parents to talk to their kids, ask them what they’re up to and about their lives online; trying to install filters or spy on them only makes them more secretive, and they will probably be able to get around whatever security measures are installed.”
2. “You must be careful, but when people are speaking to each other face to face through something such as Skype, it’s almost the same as meeting someone in real life. I’m sure there are bad people on Nerdfighters, but there are so many good people that one shouldn’t just avoid it out of fear of the bad, and should open yourself up to a wide variety of good friendships instead.” (HJ)
3. “...When I was younger, there wasn’t a safe place on the internet to meet good people, and if I found a group of people, they’d disregard me because of my age... Then, when I lied, saying I was 16 or 18 so someone would take me seriously, I was relentlessly hit on by creepy old men, just for being a girl. Sometimes I would say I was a 17 year old male to be left alone. ...I found a great community of people [through the internet] that were interested in creative endeavors and became very close to them... I still consider them great friends, after over five years. Some live in Ireland, or Australia. Those are places I’ve never been, but I have friends there. ...[Some kids abuse the internet] but cyberbullies can be stopped very easily if one just screenshots or saves conversations. ...Without the internet, I’d have about 70% less friends, no place to vent my frustations, [and] I’d be much less intelligent (most of my information comes from the internet really)...
4. “Online socializing can benefit teens. It’s great to get honest, semi- anonymous advice from those outside of your life. Nerdfighters is an especially supportive community.”
5. “I don’t find this a very valid concern. ...In real life, people can physically hurt you, or can bully you over much more prolonged periods of time, except with real-life bullying you can’t just leave the forum or change your username or block them from your Facebook account. I’ve been a heavy internet user for a long while... and I’ve been bullied... a lot less online than in person. ...Someone calling you –insert cruel and insensitive word of your choosing here- online has less of an impact than if someone you’ve known for years in real life does the same.”
D. Nerdfighters has made its members feel like you they can make a difference.
1. “...John and Hank’s story, along with that of Esther Earl [a huge participant in the Nerdfighter community and also the service organization Harry Potter Alliance, who recently passed away from cancer at the age of seventeen] have showed me how just a few people can affect thousands of lives.” (HJ)
2. “I feel empowered and inspired by both our large projects that the entire community takes part in, as well as the small scale projects that people share.”
3. “I feel like the small things I do can actually make a difference in people’s lives now. I felt this way most of the time before Nerdfighters, but the whole movement of NF have helped make it an even bigger part of my life. I try to smile in all situations, and I’m getting DFTBA [a popular initialism in the community, standing for Don’t Forget To Be Awesome] tattooed on my left wrist as a reminder. I strive to be awesome every day, and I feel like it makes a big difference in my life and other’s.
4. “I look up to [the Vlogbrothers] as older people who are nerdsome but use their nerdiness for good, and have good and interesting careers they love, and a good relationship with their family...”
5. I absolutely [consider Hank and John Green my role models]. They have both achieved their dreams’ writing and environmental activism. They have shown me that it is possible to achieve what you want.” HJ
E. Current events, diversity.
1. “”My knowledge of current events has definitely increased, and I love that John and Hank are both awesome guys that show empathy and understanding for those around the world that are different from themselves.’
2. “Nerdfighters has broadened my perspective of the world outside of my little bubble of social interaction, work, and school. I’ve learned all sorts of things about... current events- for example, John recently made a video on the revolution in Egypt from which I learned much.”
3. “It has helped me a lot with my World Studies class, and being more aware of what is going on around the world. John explains things around the world very clearly in his current events videos, and why I should care about it, as opposed to throwing out numbers and statistics.”
4. Brotherhood 2.0 and the Project for Awesome [an annual charity project in which Nerdfighters support and popularize their favorite charities through YouTube] have really opened my mind to how much needs to be done and how much can be done, as well as how many charities there are around the world.
F. History, Science, education.
1. “...My knowledge of history has definitely increased, and the videos make it more memorable than if I had just learned it in a textbook.”
2. “...As an education major, I look a lot at how they teach and inform people for ideas of how to do so in more traditional settings, so their educational videos are always interesting for me to look at.”
3. “...I’ve learned a lot from Nerdfighters about science (I definitely understand it better when Hank explains it than any science teacher I’ve ever had) and history (same thing as science except when John explains) and I’ve learned random and amazing things from both of them (The Terrible Library, how nuclear plants work, etc.) It’s not necessarily knowledge I’ll apply anywhere in life, but it’s information I’m glad to have because it enriches my life by knowing it. I’m a life-long student, and I love learning everything I possibly can.”
4. “John’s French Revolution videos have really helped me with my history class, and have also made me more aware of little snippets of history that might have been otherwise overlooked in a course, like Queen Ranavalona. As far as science goes, they give me real life applications for the topics, for example, Hank’s EcoGeek.”
G. Effect on the Wider World
1. “The Project for Awesome has grown hugely since its first few years, raising not only money for charity but also interest in charity, as well as gaining popularity for the group [Nerdfighters], and therefore increasing it’s effectiveness even more.”
2.“It has made being a nerd less of a stigma and more of a thing to be proud of. When John and Hank started, being a nerd was frowned upon, but now us nerds have a place to go, people to talk to, and we can be proud of our intelligence and willingness to learn.”
3. “I think it espouses the idea that... it really is okay to be who you are- a lot of media marketed towards teenagers pretends like they mean this, but they only mean it if you’re white, or straight, or pretty, or athletic. But really, in Nerdfighters, you can be your weird, nerdy self, as long as you’re nice to people. And it makes the idea of contributing to other people, even in little ways, seem more doable for teenagers. And it gives younger people a voice, during a time in their life when they might not feel like they have one, and a community where they’re allowed to just kind of be.”
4. “I think it has helped a lot of people to become more comfortable in their own skin. In many places, “nerd” is derogatory, but here it is a badge of honor. Seeing that other people like similar things is a reminder that not everyone has to fit whatever the definition of “normal” is... I think it has helped connect teens to people and feel like they are part of something larger. ...It can start to feel like everything is a show and we are always observers sitting on the sidelines. Interaction and relationship are good ways to be reminded that we don’t have to be apathetic.”
III. Conclusion