I was once young too, you know, and I've had my share of failed courtships (7 out of 8, to be exact), only because I found it difficult to communicate with women on a serious note, other than just being a typical goofball. I do know of other men out there who have trouble trying to make an emotional connection with the opposite sex because they've been so shelled up in a world of video games and geek-ism. However, there's a lot more to like beyond that. Women have a tendency to go for the guys who live active lifestyles, loud and brash (from my observation), and end up getting hurt. You've probably seen the same scenario many times in several chick flicks, where the timid and nerdy best friend falls for the woman he knew for several years, or the underdog who doesn't even get noticed by his ultimate dream woman. The media has imprinted this notion that reserved and quiet men are unattractive, but do girls like shy guys in real life?
As a shy person, I was always nervous in trying to come up to a girl all by myself and talk to her for the sake of knowing her and potentially establishing some sort of relationship, whether it is friendship or something else. I'm pretty sure you're facing that very same dilemma as well, but you shouldn't worry at all. In reality, shy guys can have a shot at getting into a relationship with women just as much as the next guy who's so outgoing and confident, he's basically plastered "I'M HOT STUFF" on his sleeve. And yes, it's definitely true that some women tend to go for the superficial stuff, like how guys look, what their job is, whether they own a car or not.
The truth is, guys are like that as well.
What you may not realize is that there are some women who generally prefer the quiet types, mainly because they pose more of a challenge compared to someone who likes to get noticed all the time AND they have a certain air of mystery to them. It doesn't really make matters difficult to know that they can be seen as adorable by some women. Shy guys can actually be very good listeners, and once you've gotten under that shell of his, any women just might end up embracing her inner geek and enjoying the same stuff as him. Shy guys have a tendency to talk about rather intellectual or brainy stuff, even ones that come across as highfaluting, and strangely, some women are fascinated by that.
That's what's "cool" about planet Earth; you've got different personalities that can still mesh well with each other.
Do girls like shy guys at all? Yes, I'd like to think some girls do. The challenge in that is finding them among a crowded bunch.