I feel that nerdy stuff became trendy with Big Bang Theory and MCU movies. I remember thinking that was a good thing but now I know better. What is weird is that once nerd culture became mainstream and it became fashionable to say you read comic books or played video games that is when the attacks on nerds (especially white males) started in full force.
Why do you think that it happened that way. Partly due to the large number of feminists who weren’t real fans getting involved in the hobbies. But I’m still surprised to this day how it all went down and definitely miss the days when you were made fun of for liking these things.
Nerd culture started to become mainstream with the first XBox. It showed normies that videogames are fun.
After the release of the the first smart phone, the iphone in 2008, it allowed the unwashed masses general access to the internet. Previously that was the domain of the tech savvy and those who sought out such things. The internet was very different back then. Women are lagging indicators of social norms. IE: once something becomes socially acceptable women will adapt to it. That is around the time you saw women embracing nerd culture too. Remember "the cake is a lie, lol".