Post-Geek: The Emergence of a New Subculture?

The label of “geek” is one that has evolved over time. Where it was once a derogatory term for someone outside the norm, possibly stemming from the word’s Low German origin where it meant “fool” or “crazy”, it has now become the descriptor for a rich subculture that focuses on esoteric subjects marginal to the social mainstream. But is this where the evolution has stopped? I think not. I believe a newer breed of geek has more recently started emerging from the ranks. I believe the next generation in the development of the geek is already here: the post-geek.

The “post-“ appellation is an interesting label that has also grown over time. Often used in cultural circles, it is an indicator of the next generation in a particular movement where an intentional departure is made from the previous dominant aesthetic and philosophical approaches. As an example, post-rock is a form of progressive rock that uses the instruments of traditional rock music, but as facilitators of timbre and textures rather than riffs and power chords. In this vein, the post-geek is one who has stepped beyond the barriers of the geek subculture, openly embracing philosophies and aesthetics from a multitude of cultures.

But what is the post-geek subculture? At its core, it is a superset of the mainstream, geek, and indie subcultures. The mainstream is any mass media that is immediately socially acceptable, and distributed through traditional means. A geek is someone whose interests fall out of the purview of the mainstream, despite being a product of a traditional mass media system. Indie is the alternative to traditionally-created mass media, a way for people to make their own media without the shackles of old media due to new methods like digital distribution. The post-geek lies at the union of these three subcultures — someone who feeds off traditional and new media, who exists outside of the mainstream because they want to do what they love; someone who is not concerned about labels being barriers to their interests; someone who embraces tolerance and openness in themselves and others.

There are basically two types of post-geek. The first type are those that have come into it naturally; these tend to be members of the younger generations, the so-called internet generations. These people are highly connected with long-term or lifelong exposure to multiple communication and media technologies. They’ve grown up without the Cold War, and are the children of postmodernism and globalisation. This generation by nature embraces society without barriers, and as such, are comfortable basing themselves across multiple cultures and genres. They may self-identify as geeks, but are actually comfortable basing themselves in any culture they choose, while retaining interest in others. This is their native paradigm and little conscious thought is required to maintain their lifestyle.

The other type of post-geek are those who have intentionally made a choice to change their lifestyle and focus, and expand on both their world-knowledge and interests for their own personal betterment — call it the self-actualised path. A possible starting point for the new post-geek could be the discovery of a new interest outside of their core (e.g. a genre of music), leading to them embracing the subculture surrounding that interest, then expanding their search into more interests. Alternatively, there could be elements within their own subculture that have repulsed the potential post-geek into seeking out new interests in an act of disassociation.

So, why post-geek? Why not choose post-indie or post-mainstream as the label for this emerging subculture? Geek and indie have always been countercultures to the more traditional mainstream, and while indie has commonalities with the geek philosophies, the post-geek is really the next evolutionary step for the geek subculture. As with all cultures, there is a sour element of extremism in the heart of the geek world that is very likely one of the primary drivers for the development of the post-geek.

At face value, geeks are genial folk that like to have fun and are accepting of others, but there are those within the subculture that embrace tribalism and manifest its worst aspects. Sexist attitudes run rampant, reviling women for daring to have similar interests to the men. A sense of entitlement has led to significant hubris and questioning the rights or motivation of others. In short, this intense tribalism has created an internal counterculture of bullying, which is somewhat ironic, considering the number of geeks who were themselves bullied during their formative years. This bullying and tribalism is reaching a peak, and as such, there are those who are distancing themselves from these disruptive groups and any acceptance of them within the geek subculture. As this people have moved away, adaptive evolution has become a factor, leading to speciation and the subsequent emergence of the post-geek.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.
- Charles Darwin

In closing, whether or not people choose to self-identify as post-geeks, it cannot be denied that they are already here in various shapes and forms. They are not the homo superior to the homo sapiens of the geek subculture; they are a divergent path in cultural evolution, possessing a different range of interests and openness to the new than their generational predecessors. At the end of the day, post-geek is another label to differentiate a group from others; it’s the members’ individual identities that really counts. Whether someone chooses to identify as a post-geek or remain within their current subculture, it is still their uniqueness that defines a person.