Why are we so illiterate in Mathematics?

In every generation, there is a stereotype that if you are good at math or just like it, you are a nerd and that you are not very popular. I notice this in our generation especially because I have some friends that go to public school and they talk about their social dynamic that is based on their intelligence. People who are good at math are considered nerds and they do not have a life outside of school, and that might be true for a small majority of students but it is not at all the case for all of them. For the majority of public schools, it is not really considered "cool" if you get good grades or you just like school. At Academy, there is a different social dynamic because the reason we are here is that we are good in all the subjects or at least the majority. So it is better to understand the material and if you don't understand it then ask a teacher. There is a type of pressure put on by the other students to get good grades, it is like a competition. We are always comparing our test scores or just talking about what we do and don't understand. I think this is a good thing because it makes us want to do better, thus making us more invested in our work. I think that the way good grades and working hard in school is perceived needs to change in public schools because more and more students are giving up or just not trying.