Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Happy Geek Pride Day!

I found this press release interesting and thought I would share!

Modis Geek Pride Day Survey Reveals Majority of Americans Believe Being Called a “Geek” is a Compliment

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (May 23, 2011) – Geeks across America have a lot to celebrate on May 25, National Geek Pride Day.  Long gone are the days when the title of “geek” carried with it a negative connotation. Today, some may argue it is in fact “chic to be geek,” as a majority (57 percent) of Americans believe being called a geek is actually a compliment, according to a survey by Modis, a leading provider of information technology staffing.

Modis’ survey, an omnibus conducted in honor of Geek Pride Day by Opinion Research Corporation, supports the fact that there has been a cultural shift in the way Americans perceive geeks. Today, Americans most closely associate the term “geek” with favorable attributes such as being extremely intelligent (45 percent), a reliable source for technology advice (56 percent) and a first adopter of technology (45 percent). But perhaps one of the most interesting findings that supports this point – and also puts high school stereotypes to rest – is nearly twice as many Americans today would prefer to be called a “geek” (41 percent) rather than a “jock” (22 percent).

With all of these positive attributes associated with geeks, who wouldn’t want to be called a geek today? It turns out – older generations. Two-thirds (66 percent) of Millennials (respondents aged 18-34) think being identified as a “geek” is a compliment, while only 39 percent of respondents aged 65 and older agree. The cultural shift in the way Americans perceive geeks is further evidenced by the findings that eight out of 10 (82 percent) respondents feel it is more acceptable to be a geek today than it was 15 years ago.
    
“It might be Americans’ increasing dependence on and comfort with technology or the prevalent images of former ’geeks’ who now successfully lead multi-billion dollar technology companies, but being a geek has gone mainstream, said Jack Cullen, president of Modis.  “In fact 65 percent of Americans think that everyone is a geek about something.  So on Geek Pride Day, we want to celebrate the innovation and advancements geeks have made to our everyday life.”

Additional findings from Modis’ Geek Pride Day survey include:

·         Proud to Be a Geek! Nearly one-fifth (17 percent) of Americans self-identify as a geek.

·         Geeks Are Shaping Technology through Their Work.  Geeks are typically associated with being well-suited for IT or technology industries. Survey respondents felt the professional fields geeks are best-suited for include video game designer (65 percent), technology engineer (50 percent) and professional blogger (37 percent).

·         Who Are You Calling a Nerd? The terms “nerd” and “geek” are not interchangeable. The survey showed Americans are much more wary of being called a “nerd” than a “geek” – even geeks agree! A majority (87 percent) of self-identified geeks were more comfortable being labeled a geek than a nerd (61 percent).

·         Information Technology Appreciated in the Workplace.  When asked which department at work is most valuable to them, 16 percent of employed Americans said IT – comparable to the 17 percent that said marketing and 18 percent that said accounting. Human resources slightly outweighed other divisions – likely because of the personal nature of the function - with 25 percent of Americans valuing it most.

1 comment:

 

Copyright © 2012 Katie Linendoll