Geeks Preferred Over Jocks, Says Survey

They're natural opposites: geeks get the grades and, sometimes the great jobs. But muscle-bound jocks get the girls and all the attention.

So, which would you rather be?

According to a new survey it's clear who Americans prefer: geeks.

The survey, which was released on International Geek Pride Day, was conducted by Modis, an information technology staffing firm. They find that fifty-seven per cent of all Americans believe being called a geek is a compliment, and would rather be a geek than a jock.

Apple, Microsoft Make Being a Geek Cool

"People have gone from the vision of the movies 'Revenge of the Nerds' and that was what geeks would be associated with being, to Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, considered pretty cool people," noted Modis president, Jack Cullen. (Source: go.com)

Cullen believes the change in attitude has something to do with our current fascination with slick tech products like the iPad.

"I point a lot of it towards the coolness of Apple and what they've done to bring everybody into the forefront of the digital world," Cullen said.

Geeks Not Cool With Everyone

Interestingly, Modis' study reveals that an American's opinion of geeks and jocks often depends on their age. While sixty-six per cent of 18 to 34 year olds think it's cool to be called a "geek", only 39 per cent of people 39 years of age or older feel the same way. (Source: infoworld.com)

"Being geek signifies intelligence and coolness," Cullen said. "In the old days it always stood for intelligence, but intelligence wasn't always that important."

Some other interesting stats coming from Modis' survey: Only 22 per cent of Americans would rather be called a jock than a geek. 17 per cent say they'd openly identify themselves as a geek, while 82 per cent of respondents say it's cooler to be a geek today than it was 15 years ago (you know, back in those "Revenge of the Nerds" days).