Young Women on TikTok Create Whimsical DIY Cyberdecks as a Rejection of AI and Mass-Produced Tech

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:42:00 +0200

A trending DIY movement on TikTok features young women crafting whimsical cyberdecks—homemade computers often built inside purses or quirky containers. London-based creator Annike Tan, known as Ube Boobey, gained millions of views with her mermaid-themed cyberdeck housed in a clamshell purse adorned with gold accents, pearls, and fake moss. Using a Raspberry Pi, small keyboard, and screen, her build includes offline files like music, books, maps, and even runs the game Doom. Inspired by cyberpunk literature such as William Gibson's Neuromancer, these projects carry an anti-establishment spirit but emphasize personal, colorful expression over utilitarian or apocalyptic designs. Tan and others like New York creators Ling Lu with her 'cyberduck' audio journal and Brianna with a Dunkin' Munchkin box barista game reject the flatness of generative AI and minimalist gadgets from big corporations. Their builds promote tech literacy, hands-on making, and individuality in an era where AI can hom