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SJSU | Culture > Digital

The Cyberdeck Trend is Uplifting Women in Tech

Gracelynn Roberts Student Contributor, San Jose State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SJSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Throughout time, technology has become increasingly less customizable and strategically optimized for our shortening attention spans. 

As Apple and other technology brands continue to release new generations of computers and phones, most individual components are now fully sealed within their cases. Now, we don’t have the ability to swap out laptop or phone parts as easily as we once could. 

This raises concern for our autonomy as technology users, as well as the ecological implications of not being able to reuse or replace specific parts of a piece of technology as opposed to the whole device. 

As consumers, this can be quite concerning. Having little control over the media you consume  and the changeability of your device can be jarring. 

Our generation spends hours upon hours on our devices. From online platforms, we are fed all sorts of different types of content. 

But what if I told you that customizable technology is becoming the latest trend amongst the tech girlies?

Cyberdecks are custom portable computers now commonly made using a Raspberry Pi, a low-cost and compact single-board computer made for DIY tech projects. 

Cute, retro and Y2K-themed cyberdecks are all the rage right now, and the ingenuity amongst different creators has been unmatched.

Purse cases, mini photobooths and gaming consoles; the possibilities are truly endless.  

But, my question is why are girls more interested in these cyberdecks and why is it so appealing to this generation of tech-enthused girls? 

Cyberdecks are paving women’s paths into the tech world that has been for so long deemed a man’s space. This trend has given people the opportunity to control and to explore technology in creative and fashionable ways. 

Mistakes are welcome, and learning is encouraged in this trend. Leaving with a product that is cute, functional, and uniquely your own is such a gratifying experience. 

Not only this, but I think the cyberdeck trend is making technology more fun. Who wouldn’t love an aesthetic retro-themed computer that can fit in the palm of your hand?

Giving people the autonomy to explore technology can destigmatize tech and allow us girls to become more integrated in the technology space, so eventually, our presence might be normalized within the entire technological community.

With the rise of artificial intelligence and large corporations slowly taking over the tech space, building something we can control and have full creative liberty over is freeing. 

These trends give us the opportunity to break free from the cookie-cutter tech world we are consistently enveloped in and allows us to express our own identity within this space. 

How else will we rise up against big tech if not by collectively returning our autonomy back to us by creating artistic, bright pink versions of our ideal technological world?

Cyberdecks are feminine empowerment within the tech industry. 

I hope this trend encourages women to feel more welcome in the tech space, one cyberdeck at a time. 

How do you take control over your digital wellbeing? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU!

Gracelynn Roberts

SJSU '28

Gracelynn Roberts is an undergraduate at San Jose State University studying Psychology. She writes about her lived experiences, observations of human interaction, and her interests/hobbies. She enjoys playing video games, running long and grueling distances, and watching copious amounts of YouTube. She hopes to connect with individuals who may not conform to the typical rules of femininity and young adulthood.