118

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictures_for_Sad_Children

In some ways "outdated", too edgy, but in some details maybe even more relevant today than it originally was.

(1/3 of humanity having no electricity is a bit exaggerated, in 2000 it was 1/5.)

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top new old
[-] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 10 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Those aren't nerds dipshit, how about you confirm the coordinates before launching the missile

Get google imagesed with the worst quality screencap I can find

PSA: tech bros and people who buy the lastest iphone are not nerds!

[-] Zizzy@lemmy.blahaj.zone 32 points 5 days ago

yeah this is all i could think about reading it. The nerds are using older products, often saving them from going to a landfill. Theyre reading books. The person buying an iphone every year is the opposite of a nerd

Exactly! I collect cassettes, books, and boardgames, and 95% of the time they're thrifted; it's the same with my clothes and instruments.

I'm actually planning on reviving my old... i think it's an iPod Touch 5? It's not a very "good" device, but it'll serve well as a music player :3

[-] boonhet@lemmy.zip 4 points 4 days ago

In fact nerds don't tend to care about fashion items as status symbols and if you buy an iPhone every year, you're very much doing it to show everyone your updated camera bump layout, as they last a long time in reality, much like modern Android flagships. And I doubt most nerds care about a 10% performance uplift enough to spend money every year. Money that could be funneled into expensive hobbies

[-] qiot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 5 days ago

tech bros are "nerds (derogatory)", geeks are "nerds (endearing)"

[-] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 6 points 5 days ago

Yet another example where geeks overlap with but are very much distinct from nerds

Honestly, I'm not sure this counts as being a geek, either, but I'm a nerd; I have no qualifications to say one way or the other.

[-] infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Don't fucking put that shit on nerds. The artist isn't describing nerds, they're describing capitalism and it's adherents. This isn't about nerds. Eg I go through way fewer electronics and gadgetry than the average iPhone idiot specifically because I'm a nerd. My phone is like 7 years old and I'm about to put PostmarketOS on it to try for another 7. I'm painstakingly bootstrapping the firmware on my old Ikea and Hue lights so I never have to buy new ones. I haven't bought a new computer in decades, I just franken-update as needed, not as desired. My car is a 2008 model because I know how awful the electronics are in new models and will do anything to avoid buying a new one.

Fuck this artist. They're is a god damned coward apologist for capitalism and is throwing nerds under the bus to do it.

[-] pmk@piefed.ca 80 points 5 days ago

The "nerds" I know spend days getting an obscure ROM to work on a 6 year old phone they got for free from a relative instead of chasing the latest tech. Having the newest and slimmest phone is about fashion, not hacking.

[-] joulethief@discuss.tchncs.de 21 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Or reverse-engineering the LEGO Island source code.

Or emulating a Wii U gamepad on a Pi Zero.

Or porting applications to Windows 95.

I might have an obsession with a certain YouTuber.

[-] NominatedNemesis@reddthat.com 2 points 3 days ago

I am interested now, can you give the channel name or link please?

[-] joulethief@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 3 days ago
[-] NominatedNemesis@reddthat.com 2 points 2 days ago

Thank you! Turns out I saw some of the videos, but never managed to subscribe. Today that's changed. :)

[-] chunes@lemmy.world 11 points 4 days ago

The comic was dumb when it came out and it's a lot more dumb now.

[-] homosapien@lemmy.dbzer0.com 27 points 4 days ago

"nerds" please, say techbro. No one that's obsessed with computing is buying the thinnest macbook™. Nor are they incharge of making ot

[-] muzzle@lemmy.zip 52 points 5 days ago

This comic confuses the nerd, who has a 12 year old laptop with netbsd on it, a flipphone, and a PSP they use to emulate a game boy advance, with those cosplaying as one by buying the newest tech gadget as soon as it is out.

The techbros pushing the singulrity are not nerds either. It's unclear if Musk ever really read Iain Banks' culture novels he keeps referencing, but if he did, he 100% missed their point.

[-] joulethief@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 5 days ago

Right? Using the term 'nerd' in this context infuriates me

[-] birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 5 days ago

Joke's on them, I have an actual Game Boy Advance. Bud still works after all these years.

[-] Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 5 days ago

You should try a DS, the screen is usable for us old people 😁!

Wait, did you say Advance ? Best fucking handheld ever built 😍

load more comments (4 replies)
[-] missingno@fedia.io 41 points 5 days ago

The first half of this comic started to have a point, but kinda lost me as soon as the author started condemning the idea of having hobbies.

[-] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 27 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

we've finally come full circle from "haha nerds are awkward losers!" through "actually nerds are fine" to "haha nerds are just straight up ontologically bad!"

load more comments (4 replies)
[-] Tiger_Man_@szmer.info 19 points 4 days ago

this is wrong usage of nerd, it describes tech bros. the actual nerds have enough class conciousness to oppose consumptionism and capitalism

[-] BeerStainedBunny@lemmy.blahaj.zone 20 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Wanting a SteamDeck isn't the same as being racist (since you brought it up). A lot of nerds like things outside of computers and phones. In fact, some of us are pretty resourceful and reusing older devices for less waste and more privacy.

Last year I gave away my Switch because I didn't play it as much as I used to. Same with my old phone and hard drive. So spare me the self-righteous bullshit.

Also your comic sucks and is too wordy. It's a comic draw better pictures.

load more comments (4 replies)
[-] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 18 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Oh yeah! Do drag queens next! They just got their 15 seconds of fame a decade ago too!

Drags are ruining the planet! Makeup just kills kids in the third world! And fast fashion! And those lights! On the mirrors and the stage! Girl! Global warming!

Buncha rich white men wasting their lives pretending! Wigs in the trash! Cigarettes! Wanting to make everyone werk themselves to death trying to slay everyone!

[-] AVincentInSpace@pawb.social 4 points 3 days ago

I buy the latest and greatest CPU, but that's because I'm a Rust programmer and rustc is a resource pig. Also I would gladly double my compile times for a 10% improvement in end user performance.

I have the latest and greatest CPU because I know my users don't.

[-] Pencilnoob@lemmy.world 16 points 5 days ago

Here's the thing, I don't think the comic is Wrong. I tend to agree that consumption as an identity is fairly shallow and not particularly noble or beneficial to the enrichment of society or the individual.

However the comic falls short by only attacking one specific consumption hobby / identity. What about buying new trendy water bottles every season, or hobby dabbling, or movie buff, or social media scroller. Ultimately consumption as a whole is a pale reflection of production. Building, making, memeing, writing, exercise, photography, model building, Lego, Minecraft, Factorio. Helping others, volunteering, building relationships. These are the activities that enrich us and those around us.

This is why travel to sit in a hotel is fine and a little shallow and you'll have forgotten all about it in ten years. Travel and stay in a hostel and meet cool weird people in the common area and you'll remember them for the rest of your life.

Of course one can't produce all day every day. The person that only ever produces will burn out, and lose a sense of why they produce. Consumption and production should be balanced. I'm the first one to crash on the sofa and watch some Star Trek after a long day at the digital mines.

At least this is my philosophy.

[-] JennyLaFae@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

I don't think work is production, hobby model building gives more production satisfaction.

Community labor gives satisfaction and benefits the community.

Productive labor gives satisfaction and benefits yourself.

Capitalist labor gives tokens instead of satisfaction and benefits the capitalist.

Under capitalist labor we consume using tokens to buy various forms of satisfaction, which turn hollow in our spirits leaving us hungry for more.

~Ranting MadWoman

[-] mycodesucks@lemmy.world 18 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

I don't own a single computer newer than 2013. I keep a stack of old hardware people who upgrade throw away to ensure I'll ALWAYS have a supply of old computers I'll keep out of landfill.

Normal people spent decades IGNORING the warnings of nerds and buying the bullshit of tech bros, and now the nerds who tried to warn them get blamed for this mess? Piss off.

[-] magic_smoke@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

This ignores the fact we live in a capitalistic hellscape which makes important tech jobs few and far between so they can continue to use us for war, invading privacy, spreading ads, and business software.

If I could take my skillset and walk into an organization that would use it to do good, and would pay a living wage, I'd do it tomorrow.

I can draw pictures, and play, or even make games on my own in bedroom.

I'm not going to solve the fucking energy crisis in my bedroom.

[-] cybervseas@lemmy.world 15 points 5 days ago

The idea that the "nerd out" trend just turned into everyone sharing their favorite brands 🙂

[-] ThreeCheesesalute@lemmus.org 9 points 5 days ago

Shitty nihilism post, ugh. Gotta love people who are jerking themselves off for having an old iphone and a chromebook

[-] Famko@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago

It's also just missing the forest for the trees. Blaming the individual instead of the overaching problem of capitalistic consumerism, just so the comic author can feel a sort of superiority over others.

[-] wieson@feddit.org 12 points 5 days ago

If only the jocks or the theatre kids could accumulate all the capital, then our society would be saved!

^(Saudi Princes, PDiddy, Rupert Murdoch, etc)

load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2026
118 points (75.9% liked)

196

6893 readers
1799 users here now

Community Rules

You must post before you leave

Be nice. Assume others have good intent (within reason).

Block or ignore posts, comments, and users that irritate you in some way rather than engaging. Report if they are actually breaking community rules.

Use content warnings and/or mark as NSFW when appropriate. Most posts with content warnings likely need to be marked NSFW.

Most 196 posts are memes, shitposts, cute images, or even just recent things that happened, etc. There is no real theme, but try to avoid posts that are very inflammatory, offensive, very low quality, or very "off topic".

Bigotry is not allowed, this includes (but is not limited to): Homophobia, Transphobia, Racism, Sexism, Abelism, Classism, or discrimination based on things like Ethnicity, Nationality, Language, or Religion.

Avoid shilling for corporations, posting advertisements, or promoting exploitation of workers.

Proselytization, support, or defense of authoritarianism is not welcome. This includes but is not limited to: imperialism, nationalism, genocide denial, ethnic or racial supremacy, fascism, Nazism, Marxism-Leninism, Maoism, etc.

Avoid AI generated content.

Avoid misinformation.

Avoid incomprehensible posts.

No threats or personal attacks.

No spam.

Moderator Guidelines

Moderator Guidelines

  • Don’t be mean to users. Be gentle or neutral.
  • Most moderator actions which have a modlog message should include your username.
  • When in doubt about whether or not a user is problematic, send them a DM.
  • Don’t waste time debating/arguing with problematic users.
  • Assume the best, but don’t tolerate sealioning/just asking questions/concern trolling.
  • Ask another mod to take over cases you struggle with, if you get tired, or when things get personal.
  • Ask the other mods for advice when things get complicated.
  • Share everything you do in the mod matrix, both so several mods aren't unknowingly handling the same issues, but also so you can receive feedback on what you intend to do.
  • Don't rush mod actions. If a case doesn't need to be handled right away, consider taking a short break before getting to it. This is to say, cool down and make room for feedback.
  • Don’t perform too much moderation in the comments, except if you want a verdict to be public or to ask people to dial a convo down/stop. Single comment warnings are okay.
  • Send users concise DMs about verdicts about them, such as bans etc, except in cases where it is clear we don’t want them at all, such as obvious transphobes. No need to notify someone they haven’t been banned of course.
  • Explain to a user why their behavior is problematic and how it is distressing others rather than engage with whatever they are saying. Ask them to avoid this in the future and send them packing if they do not comply.
  • First warn users, then temp ban them, then finally perma ban them when they break the rules or act inappropriately. Skip steps if necessary.
  • Use neutral statements like “this statement can be considered transphobic” rather than “you are being transphobic”.
  • No large decisions or actions without community input (polls or meta posts f.ex.).
  • Large internal decisions (such as ousting a mod) might require a vote, needing more than 50% of the votes to pass. Also consider asking the community for feedback.
  • Remember you are a voluntary moderator. You don’t get paid. Take a break when you need one. Perhaps ask another moderator to step in if necessary.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS