[lolinder]

For what it's worth, it sounds like you had a childhood that was very different than what kids today are growing up with, at least in my area.

By around 2014 the cool kids in my local high school were the nerds, and it's pretty much stayed that way. I worked with a neighborhood youth group where the kid who was at the center of everything was super into fortnite and coding. When he introduced himself to me the first thing he said was "I'm pretty much a nerd"—and he said it with pride! A few of the other kids felt the need to establish their nerd cred, too. This was in a neighborhood in the poorest part of a nearly-rural town. Their parents were mostly in trades, not tech.

"Nerd" has become a badge of honor that is sought after and claimed by kids, not a derogatory label assigned by others.