Hippies, goth, otakus, punks, heavies, nerds, geeks, millennials … All these terms and words sound relatively frequent in recent times. These are different cultures or urban tribes. This concept related to social phenomena refers to a group of people in which a distinctive set of beliefs and behaviours is developed that differentiates them from the rest of the members of the same society.

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

One of these subcultures, urban cultures or urban tribes, which are currently enjoying increasing popularity is the geek culture. But… are there psychological characteristics that define this group?

What do you mean by geek?

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

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

Although as it has been said at first the term geek had negative connotations, at present this concept is seen with more and more acceptance and recognition by the society , being quite well valued its culture and having been established even a “Geek Pride Day”.

But what characteristics does someone catalogued within this urban tribe usually possess?

Entering the mind of the geek

Several studies have been carried out that have attempted to analyse the characteristics of the members of the different subcultures and their distinctive personalities. As far as geek culture is concerned, some of the results reflected by these studies (notably that of McCain, Gentile and Campbell) are the following:

Interest in technologies

The interest in technologies and their functioning is, as mentioned above , the common point of the different types of subjects known as geeks .

2. Neophilia

Many of the so-called (and self-described) geeks have what is known as neophilia , that is, a strong attraction and affinity towards (especially technological) geeks. 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 reflect that a large number of individuals catalogued within this urban culture feel aversion towards politics . That is, they tend to feel uncomfortable, ignored and not represented by the political bodies. Likewise, this induces them to greater participation in apolitical civic associations.

4. Creativity and openness to experience

Some studies carried out regarding 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 in their leisure time, 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 world of computing.

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 rather the opposite, correlating the data obtained through the study with average and moderate levels of extraversion.

Perhaps the topic is due to the bad social consideration of this group when the concept geek was developed, something that could lead to its social rejection and, consequently, that people labeled with this term adopted a defensive attitude from their past experiences. In this way, the current positive consideration of this group facilitates that their social bonds are greater and of more 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 the geek culture showed high scores on characteristics that suggested a certain level of narcissism.

Final considerations: the risks of labelling

Although many people value being catalogued within this and other subcultures, one must take into account the risks of excessive use of labels ; the fact of categorizing people according to their tastes or characteristics can induce various problems. To be included within a specific group means that one will tend to assume the presence of certain personal characteristics that may or may not be possessed, and also implies a problem in terms of linking oneself to people outside the group.

Furthermore, although the current social perception of what is understood by geek is acceptably good, it is still true that until the 1990s the term was used in a pejorative way, assuming the existence of certain prejudices (some of which are still latent today) that in certain situations could harm individuals considered as such.

Being labelled within a group can contribute to the process of forming an identity , and entails the risk that the label does not fit our characteristics, and can lead to self-censorship to fit the endo-group and the establishment of competitive relations with other social categories.

Both when identifying with a group and when trying to catalogue other people, one must avoid falling into stereotyped and/or prejudiced judgements that can have serious consequences for the labelled subject and/or the social group in which he or she is being catalogued.

Bibliographic 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. Consulted 25 May 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
  • Raymond, E. (2003) “Geek – The Jargon File”. catb.org. Accessed March 17, 2011.
  • Thornton, S. (1995). Culturas de clubes. Capital musical, mediática y subcultural, Wesleyan University Press, Hannover.