The psychology of the geek, in 6 basic characteristics

Technology and video game lovers: what is their personality like? What do they have in common?

Hippies, goths, otakus, punks, heavies, nerds, geeks, millennials... All these terms and words have been heard relatively frequently in recent times. These are different cultures or urban tribes. This concept related to social phenomena refers to a grouping of people in which they develop a distinctive set of beliefs and behaviors that differentiates them from other members of the same society.

An urban tribe is a way of cultural and social expression presented by a group of individuals of the same society, being this culture chosen and modulated by the subjects that conform it according to their context and way of living. Some are formed around a musical style or taste, others around an ideology and there are also those linked to the existence of a common hobby.

One of these subcultures, urban cultures or urban tribes, which currently enjoy a growing popularity is the geek culture. But... Are there psychological characteristics that define this group?

What is meant by geek?

Coming from the English language from a period when it was a pejorative label, the word "geek" refers to a person who has a high level of attraction and fascination with everything related to technology, electronic entertainment and science fiction.technology, electronic entertainment and science fiction. There is a high degree of heterogeneity within this category, with the common denominator being an interest in technology.

Within this group we could for example find hackers, people with a great fondness for gadgets, some fans of science fiction and fantasy or individuals with a high interest in electronic entertainment (the latter are better known as gamers nowadays).

Although at first the term geek had negative connotations, nowadays this concept is seen with more and more acceptance and recognition by the society, being quite well valued its culture.The culture is quite well valued and even a "Geek Pride Day" has been established.

But what characteristics usually possesses someone cataloged within this urban tribe?

Entering the geek's mind

There have been several studies that have attempted to analyze the characteristics of the members of different subcultures and their distinctive personality. Regarding geek culture, some of the results reflected by these studies (highlighting that of McCain, Gentile and Campbell) are the following:

1. Interest in technologies.

Interest in technologies and how they work is, as mentioned above, the common point of the different geek cultures.The interest in technologies and their functioning is, as mentioned above, the common point of the different types of subjects called geeks..

2. Neophilia

Many of the so-called (and self-described) geeks present what is known as neophiliai.e. a strong attraction and affinity towards technology (especially technology). This implies a certain level of rejection of routine and a certain capacity to adapt to change.

3. Political disenchantment

Various studies with numerous volunteers show that a large number of individuals a large number of individuals categorized within this urban culture have an aversion to politics.. That is, they tend to feel uncomfortable, ignored and unrepresented by political bodies. This also induces them to become more involved in non-political civic associations.

4. Creativity and openness to experience

Some studies on the level of creativity of the members of this subculture seem to indicate that geeks tend to carry out a greater number of creative projects, both at work and leisure, than the average. An example of this is the group of hackers, who show a high capacity to find and create new methods and mechanisms in the computer world.

5. Openness to experience and extraversion

Although the stereotypical image of geeks seems to reflect introverted people with little social contact, the studies carried out indicate quite the opposite, correlating the data obtained through the study with medium and moderate levels of extraversion.

Perhaps the cliché is due to the bad social consideration that this group had when the geek concept was developed, something that could lead to its social rejection and, consequently, to people labeled with this term adopting a defensive attitude based on their past experiences.This may have led to its social rejection and, consequently, to people labeled with this term adopting a defensive attitude based on their past experiences. Thus, the current positive consideration of this group facilitates that their social ties are greater and of higher quality.

6. Relative tendency to depression and/or grandiosity

The individuals studied were also prone to depressive states and disorders, manifesting low levels of self-esteem. However, a moderate percentage of individuals who were attracted to geek culture showed high scores in characteristics that suggested the existence of a certain level of narcissism.

Final considerations: the pitfalls of labeling

While many people appreciate being labeled within this and other subcultures, it is important to be aware of the risks of over-labeling, the risks of over-labeling must be carefully considered; categorizing people based on their tastes or characteristics can lead to a variety of problems.The fact of categorizing people according to their tastes or characteristics can lead to various problems. Being included in a particular group means that one will tend to assume the presence of certain personal characteristics that one may or may not possess, and may also pose a problem in terms of bonding with people outside one's own group.

Moreover, although the current social perception of what is understood as geek is acceptably good, it is still true that until the nineties the term was used in a pejorative way, assuming the existence of certain prejudices (some of which still remain latent today) that in certain situations could harm the individuals considered as such.

Being labeled as part of a group can contribute to the process of identity formation.This can lead to self-censorship in order to conform to the ingroup and the establishment of competitive relationships with other social categories.

Both when identifying oneself with a group and when trying to categorize other people, one must avoid falling into stereotypical and/or prejudiced judgments that can have serious consequences on the labeled subject and/or the social group in which he/she is labeled.

Bibliographical references:

• Arnold D. O. (1970). Subcultures. The Glendessary Press, Berkeley.

• Bell, D. (2001). An introduction to cybercultures, Routledge, London.

• Konzack, L. (2006).Geek Culture: The 3rd Counter-Culture. Accessed May 25, 2015.

• McCain, J.; Gentile, B. & Campbell, W.K. (2015).A Psychological Exploration of Engagement in Geek Culture. PLoS ONE 10(11): e0142200. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0142200. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0142200.

• Raymond, E. (2003). "Geek - The Jargon File)" (in English). catb.org. Accessed March 17, 2011.

• Thornton, S. (1995). Club cultures. Music, media and subcultural capital, Wesleyan University Press, Hanover.