🤓 A 10-year-old boy asks Apple to change an emoji for perpetuating stereotypes against children with glasses
In recent months, the icon of the “nerd”, “geek” or however you want to say it has been used a lot; the face with glasses and two protruding incisor teeth. The “🤓” emoji is being used as a parody by obsessive pop culture fans correcting errors in certain adaptations. But whether we like it or not, continues to perpetuate the idea that anyone who wears glasses is an obsessive, and that has not pleased an English boy under the name of Teddy.
According to the New York Post, Teddy has begun asking for signatures for Apple to change the design of the nerd emoji, which he considers a derogatory image of people with glasses and with protruding front teeth as if they were rabbits. You may think this is nonsense, but as we explain in our text on el meaning of emojis, its representation represents society and it is the people who use it.
The nerd emoji, questioned by those who wear glasses for the use to which it is given
And the use that has been given to this emoji could have affected people who must wear glasses or have that characteristic of teeth. It doesn't mean that just because they wear it that they are pop culture obsessives and perfectionists.
According to Emojipedia, this design is still being used by Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC),, Twitter, Microsoft, and Samsung among others. But other services like Google, Facebook y WhatsApp They have modified it. Emojipedia itself also states that this emoji, being the basis of the yellow emoji, can evoke images of the “yellowface”, which It's how Americans stereotype Asians in movies and series., taking as an example Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany's, played by the American actor Mickey Rooney.
Going back to the story of Teddy versus the Apple glasses emoji, has proposed that Apple make the frame round, thinner and not have protruding incisors. It's not a stupid idea, because that's how it's represented on WhatsApp, Facebook and Skype. This means that if someone from Apple messaging sends the “🤓” emoji to say that someone is a nerd, whoever receives it in those messaging systems, would see a person with glasses but without prominent teeth.
