Back in my day, being nerdy was one of the worst things you could call someone. People would have rather been called stoner or a goofball or really nothing at all instead of “nerd”. Now? Not so much.
Being nerdy is cool! Being smart is hip. Geeking out over robots or chemistry or Star Wars or whatever is actually where it’s at. And this goes for little brown kids too! Woohoo for equal opportunity nerd-dom!
An example of this cultural shift is in Netflix’s new series, Project Mc², which premiered this month. My 8 year old daughter watched one episode of this live-action original tween series and she was hooked! Project Mc² features four super smart and (and super cute) science-skilled girls who happen to also work for a top-secret spy organization (NBD).
Project Mc² is a fresh take on the typical tween girl show. The series has S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) organically woven throughout the story line. It makes science and technology fun and cool and breaks the stereotype that being smart, funny, stylish and nerdy are mutually exclusive. Project Mc² reflects the way my daughter lives today in a relatable way. It gives her four empowered female leads to look up to. And I don’t have to feel quite so guilty when I let her watch just one more episode while I’m busy with something else.
Netflix wanted to bring Project Mc² to life for my daughter so they sent her her own science kit from the headquarters of NBD. [You can do this yourself by checking out the activities on their website.] It came on a rainy Friday afternoon and could not have come at a better time. This girl was so excited to do these experiments!
Want to see the four S.T.E.A.M experiments they sent? Krystyn over at reallyareyouserious.com has a great blog covering all the details. I’m thrilled that our girls are friends and that they can be “smart-cool” together! And before I make it seem like this is only a show for girls…it’s not! My boys (ages 6, 5, and 3) were super into it too. They dug the spy parts.
Is smart the new cool in your ‘hood? Is nerdy a compliment to your daughter? I say right on! Smart girls unite!
