Being Called a Nerd is a Badge of Honor

Urban Dictionary, define "Nerd".

-One whose IQ exceeds his weight.
-An individual persecuted for his superior skills or intellect, most often by people who fear and envy him.
-An 'individual', i.e. a person who does not conform to society's beliefs that all people should follow trends and do what their peers do. Often highly intelligent but socially rejected because of their obsession with a given subject, usually computers. Unfortunately, nerds seem to have problems breeding, to the detriment of mankind as a whole.

-A stereotypical label used to describe a person that is socially inadequate. A four letter word, but a six figure income.

When did the definition of "nerd" shift from this, to a person who loves Star Wars and Harry Potter? And why?

Star Wars and Harry Potter are so mainstream that you can barely consider yourself "nonconformist" for liking it. In my opinion, trivia also has nothing to do intelligence. So what if you've watched the movies ten times each? Did you learn anything from them?

I don't have anything against Star Wars or Harry Potter. But for you, society, to persecute us "nerds" when we're young, then to realize later on that we're better off, to want to be like us, to make the word mean less so you can take the title for yourselves - that offends me.

Being called a "nerd" is a badge of honor. 

We survived adolescence. You banished us to dark basements, and teased us for never seeing the light of day. We survived your taunting and bullying. We resisted peer pressure, and we retained our passions. We survived having few friends. All through childhood and young adulthood, you used the word "nerd" to make us feel ashamed of ourselves and what we love. 

And now that we've grown more mature, you suddenly think that being a nerd is "cool." But you don't know the true meaning of the word. It doesn't matter how many times you've seen a movie or read a book. To be a nerd is to pursue your passions in the face of hardship, to persist through obstacles, and to learn.

Nerdiness is the survival of your true self.

My fellow nerds, I salute you.