Annike Tan’s Viral Cyberdeck Spurs DIY Computer Trend as 62 Million Tons of E-Waste Mount
Updated
Updated · The Conversationalist · Aug 20
Annike Tan’s Viral Cyberdeck Spurs DIY Computer Trend as 62 Million Tons of E-Waste Mount
1 articles · Updated · The Conversationalist · Aug 20
Summary
Annike Tan’s mermaid-themed cyberdeck, posted to TikTok earlier this year, has helped spark a wave of women building custom mini computers and sharing “girlier” designs online.
Built from a vintage clutch bag, a Raspberry Pi, a tiny keyboard and screen, Tan’s off-grid device was meant to reduce constant connectivity while still storing maps, books, music and top Wikipedia articles.
The trend is also drawing newcomers into electronics and coding, with creators such as Brazil-based programmer Giovanna Aguiar filling tutorial gaps in Portuguese and promoting refurbished parts over costly new components.
Cyberdeck builders frame the movement as resistance to Big Tech’s always-online, mass-produced devices, while also offering women more privacy and autonomy amid surveillance and AI-enabled abuse concerns.
The repair-and-reuse ethos carries an environmental edge: the world generated 62 million tons of e-waste in 2022, and the UN projects that total will climb 32% to 82 million tons by 2030.