Wrong Kind of Nerd (or Geek)

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For as long as I can remember, I have watched television. My parents frequently scolded me for the hours I wasted in front of the boob-tube, but they never bothered to intervene, so I became addicted to my favorite programs and indifferent about doing other things that most people do. The worst part is that I feel that I have been watching the wrong programs. I can easily recall trivia about several of my favorite cartoons, but those shows borrowed from pop culture more than they shaped it. I feel that I might have been a better person if I had been more exposed to different fictional works.
Star Trek was a cult sci-fi classic that was ahead of its time for how it addressed ethics and politics. The Star Wars movies featured an epic space opera that also contributed to science fiction as it is known today. The various Gundam series provided a dark but optimistic take on the mecha genre of animé. The long-running series Doctor Who influenced British pop culture much like how Star Trek influenced pop culture in the US. I know it is not wise to opine about fictional works of which I know or recall very little, but the fandoms of these works are some of the most notable in existence, so I doubt that I am glorifying utter garbage.
If I had become a fan of at least one of these franchises earlier in life, I might have become wiser and more thoughtful from the themes discussed. Maybe I could have made friends more easily, especially with fellow fans. I could try becoming a fan by watching these works online, but I don’t have the time for such things anymore. I need to figure out how to make myself a better, more sociable person by myself, mostly because I have trouble trusting anyone else.

I grew up watching the various Star Trek shows, notably The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. While I was not entirely blind to the messages contained in these shows, they did not make me a wiser or even more sociable person. I grew into a rather shallow, reclusive and not knowledgeable person. Likewise, I read a lot of Marvel comics, which combine superheroics with sociopolitical content, I watched Gundam Wing, and later became a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Neon Genesis Evangelion, two shows that are praised for their complex and mature themes.

With all these fandoms stacked on top of each other, you might expect me to be a well-rounded person. But nothing could be further from the truth. I am one-dimensional and selfish. It hinges more on the personality you were born with, than on the fictional media you consume. The fact that you worry about this is of itself a good sign.