A 10-year-old English schoolboy, Teddy Cottle, has launched a petition urging Apple to redesign its “nerd face” emoji, claiming it’s offensive and reinforces stereotypes about people who wear glasses. The emoji features a bright yellow smiley face with thick-rimmed glasses and protruding front teeth. Teddy, who also wears glasses, expressed his disappointment with the emoji while texting a cousin. With the help of his teacher, Lisa Baillie, Teddy launched the online petition, which has garnered over 600 signatures from various countries. The petition argues that the emoji is insulting and worries that people getting glasses for the first time might feel self-conscious.
Teddy stated that the current emoji makes people think that individuals wearing glasses are nerds, and he proposed a redesign, the “genius emoji,” featuring thin lenses, frames, and a small smiley face. The campaign has received supportive comments, with one signatory praising Teddy’s initiative to promote body positivity and another expressing pride in being part of the glasses-wearing community. Teddy hopes Apple will consider his proposal and feels that if he finds the emoji offensive, there are likely thousands worldwide who share the sentiment.
