Survey Says You are Not a Geek.

Even before I got my first internet job, I recall being fascinated by people who self identified as geeks. Not because I think “geek” is a pejorative term, but because–unlike other stereotyped categories such as “punk” or “jock”–the term is hard to define, at least from an armchair sociologist perspective (one I proudly and recklessly adopt).

Now that I’ve been initiated, I realize where the disconnect came from: Self-proclaimed geeks are not the pasty folks associated with the old-fashioned cliché. On the contrary, they are the most social, active, and vocal group of people I have ever met. Ever. They hang out all the time, seem know every bar in every city, and tweet themselves ragged. The definition has changed, and it’s an impressive sight to behold.

As it turns out, research (score!) confirms my thinking. In Microtrends (a book I made fun of myself for buying, but have nearly finished in two days), veteran pollster and political strategist Mark Penn and Kinney Zalesne lay bare the facts on phenomena like “social geeks”:

Although the U.S. adult population as a whole is about 49 percent “extraverted” (defined by Myers-Briggs as folks who draw their energy from the world and people around them), nearly 60 percent of the most enthusiastic tech users are extraverted. These are the people who read about advances in consumer electronics and digital devices; are described by friends as into the latest technology and knowledgeable about computer software; and who look forward to new versions of operating systems.

But these are also the people who are the most busy juggling family, work, and school, and who are living the most active and engaged lifestyles. They go to movies, exercise and play outdoor sports, and listen to recently downloaded music from iTunes far more than those at the other end of the spectrum who were very reluctant to use technology. By more than 2 to 1, the techies opted for “nightlife/hitting the town” as a form of entertainment more so than the “reluctants”.

It’s the reluctant users–the ones who buy and use technology only when they have to–who turn out to be the introverts, by a significant margin of 57 to 43 percent.

In fact, the Geek cliché is completely turned on its head when people are asked about their social habits. Fifty-three percent of the “super-engaged” and “enthused” technology-users consider themselves to be socially savvy, compared to only 39 percent of reluctant technology-users.

If the old cliché was that techno-geeks had no friends, now it is the case that techno-geeks have a crazy, impossible number of friends.

So What About the Book?

You can’t help but devour these little bits of contextualized data. One of the most interesting things about the book is how Penn and Zalesne put large-scale survey results like this into perspective, giving concrete examples of how numbers which may look insignificant to us (the difference between and 49 and 60 percent as above, for instance) can have an enormous impact on our lives–in areas such as voter and buyer behavior.

Every chapter is broken down according to a measurable microtrend (as in “social geeks” above, or “video game grownups” and “pampering parents” elsewhere), defined as:

an intense identity group that is on the rise, with needs and wants unmet by the current crop of companies, marketers, policymakers, and others who would influence society’s behavior

As you might guess (and this is where some readers get excited and others get suspicious, I suspect), the authors give suggestions for how strategists and marketers can capitalize on on the unmet wants and needs of each microtrend. Here’s what they suggest for “Wordy Women”:

Politics is perhaps the next frontier for women. If millions of young women are gaining ground in journalism, public relations, and law, politics is a logical jump–as they require many of the same skills you need for politics. Larry Summers was focused on the wrong side of the issue. Rather than wondering why women were not equally represented in Math and Science, he might have noticed how well women are doing in the wordy professions and how their success there may lead ultimately to a whole new politics.

The Verdict?

Whether or not you buy Penn and Zalesne’s conclusions and premise (that microtrends, not megatrends, shape America’s political and commercial landscape), I can guarantee that you will read at least half the book. It’s well written. It’s topical. And most importantly, it engages your inner armchair sociologist/statistician. Fully enjoyable.