10-year-old Teddy starts petition to get Apple to change offensive emoji،
Teddy, a 10-year-old bespectacled Apple fan living in the UK, has a bit of a problem with the company. He started a petition calling on Apple to redesign the “nerd face” emoji, noting that the protruding teeth on the design make it “absolutely horrible for people who wear glasses.” Speaking as someone over 10, Teddy added: “They’re making people think we’re nerds and it’s absolutely horrible. It makes me sad and upset, and if I find it offensive there will be thousands of people around the world who find it offensive too.”
The pre-teen spoke with the BBC (via 9to5Mac) and pointed out that he created his own design for a replacement emoji that he calls the “genius emoji.” Of his redesigned emoji, Teddy says: “It has glasses and thin frames… and then it has a little smiley face instead of the ugly buck teeth.” Teddy himself has to wear glasses and he says: “I like wearing glasses because they allow me to see better, and they are beautiful and elegant.”
Teddy holds up the current offensive nerd face emoji with his own replacement genius emoji on the right. Image credit BBC
As for the petition, it was one of Teddy’s teachers, Lisa, who inspired him to start it. “He talks about it quite openly, but in a quite adult way,” Lisa said, “and I think that should also be supported and encouraged and praised.” For now, circulation of the petition is limited to Teddy’s school and the town where he lives. But the plan is to launch it online and email it to Apple.
Apple may only know Teddy from coverage of his petition. However, for now, Apple has remained silent on all of this. Teddy says that if Apple takes his advice and redesigns the “nerd face” emoji, he will “feel amazing” and “so excited.” He first noticed the emoji when he was texting his cousin.
