This article focuses on the uses of and interactions about popular culture and social media in order to examine school-positive practices and social identification. Through analysis of various kinds of interac- tional data, I argue that the focal participant of the study is not identified as the widely recognizable social type “nerd”despite her performance of practices associated with such a social position. I investi- gate practices taking place outside the classroom and show how a focus solely on students’ interactions inside a classroom will not always provide an adequate portrait of students’ affiliations with school and of their learning potential. The study also provides evidence that social media and popular cultural prac- tices can facilitate school-positive practices and educational agendas and can therefore advantageously be embraced in school.