“Offensive”: UK Boy Launches Online Petition Asking Apple To Change Its “Nerd” Emoji

A 10-year-old boy in the UK has launched an online petition asking tech giant Apple to redesign its “offensive and insulting” glasses emoji. Teddy, from the parish of Peppard in Oxfordshire, says the emoji with prominent front teeth gives a wrong impression of people who wear glasses. He has even redesigned the icon with, substituting the toothy grin with a small smile. In his petition, Teddy also said that he wants Apple to change the name of the emoji to Genius Emoji.

“They’re making people think we’re nerds and it’s absolutely horrible. It’s making me feel sad and upset, and if I find it offensive there’ll be thousands of people around the world that find it offensive too,” Teddy told the BBC.

The icon is popularly known as the nerd emoji.

“It’s got thin lenses and thin frames… and then it’s got a little smiley face instead of the horrible rabbit teeth,” the 10-year-old said, explaining his design.

“I like wearing glasses because they make me see a lot better, and they look good and stylish,” Teddy added.

Apple has so far not made any comment on the petition.

“I think people who wear glasses are cool and I am worried that people who are getting glasses for the first time will think they are going to look like rabbits or rats,” the UK boy said in his petition.

New York Post said the Teddy’s teacher Lisa helped him launch the online petition.

“If Apple took my ideas on board, it would feel amazing, and I’d be so excited,” he told the outlet.

Apple has updated and redesigned emojis in the past year, sometimes with iOS updates. During Covid time, the company added a small change to its syringe emoji that removed the drops of blood to be less graphic amid the vaccine rollout.

In iOS 14.5 beta, an emoji update added the ability for both women and men to have beards.