It’s really interesting how much I have subscribed to the idea of the cozy web without even knowing specifically about it – then again, I am of the demographic that the term is targeted to. I’d argue that, for me personally, I go beyond the “cozy web” and go for “cozy tech” in general that also takes in the ideas of the cozy web.
What does my cozy web/cozy tech look like?
- Valuing privacy in terms of software → A big example has to be my very aggro stance against Windows 11. I’m tired of the bullshit I have to deal with in the web on a daily basis, what with trying to avoid trackers and ads and whatnot, and I do not want it baked into my OS. Right now, I’ve been looking at different distros to use that can be good for gaming – that’s really the only reason why I’m staying with Windows 10. Nobara looks promising, and the release of the Steam Deck should hopefully make things a lot easier in the privacy-first front that I’m aching for.
- Speaking of which, my Steam Deck is very much cozy tech to me!
- ==Wanting to customize everything== → Sites and social medias that fall under premium mediocre also tend to prevent customization of the user’s pages. Everything must look the same in the dull coat of Material paint. It’s so corporate. So ugly. The cozy web side of this is definitiely with Discord – I pretty much talk there all the time with my friends and also take the opportunity to customize my profiles and whatnot (I do also dislike against the way Discord is monetizing being able to do so though, on top of its other issues). This is also seen with my fascination towards the old web. nightfall.city is so, so cozy to me. I adore that website to pieces.
- There’s also my own digital garden and personal site! My personal site is something that built with my own hands and I am very proud of it. It’s my own piece of the web that, while not exactly private (as in only certain people can see it), it still has some semblance of privacy in that you really do have to go out of your way to find it if you don’t have the direct address. It’s not hosted on any social sites like Neocities. It’s all sequestered on its own space and I really do prefer it that way.
- “Ricing” my Windows OS has been one of my hobbies that I’ve taken up for several years now. I was there when Spicetify was in Rainmeter. I used to have more elaborate setups and would change my setup and colors once a month, but for a little over a year, I’ve really just been sticking with the Catppuccin color scheme. Before, Bouquet by niivu was the champion of my heart for me, but Catppuccin showed up and knocked it out of its pedestal. Catppuccin Mocha Rosewater is the cozy web color scheme for me.
- The way my room is and how I use technology in it → RGB strip lighting, messy bed, custom-made PC with nice lighting and figurines slapped on top of it. Leaving my FFXIV character AFK in a shared estate with my friend while I take a nap. My PC’s RGB having a specific setting I change to when I want to take naps (I love you OpenRGB with my whole heart). If my PC isnt on, then I probably fell asleep on my Steam Deck while doing a quest (shoutout to me knocking out at the very beginning of the Stormblood Manderville quests bc I was insanely tired). All of it comes together to have this kind of meshing of both domesticity and technology, and it’s so very cozy.
- How I put technology into my art of yapping → At one point, I had written out a list of things I use to organize my life – Notion for tasks and itemized lists, Obsidian for learning and digital gardening, my Hobonichi for analog journaling, my Field Notes EDC for, well, every-day carry… so on and so forth. When I had written up the list, I thought it was really funny just how much I am incapable of shutting up when it comes to putting my thoughts on paper or markdown doc. Looking at it from this perspective, though, it’s definitely another kind of cozy web/cozy tech for me. I use all of these to keep my life and thoughts on track, lest it overflow into something less personal. Journaling is very much a cozy hobby for me, and one that I do daily. Hell, this isn’t really a journal entry but I’m typing this out while in a library right now and I am very much in a cozy mood of sorts. It’s another example of the marriage between tech and domesticity.
I do love the idea of cozy tech – unsurprising, as I am currently living in it. I would like to say that while I was already well on my way of being into the idea of cozy tech before, I believe that the lockdown and pandemic shot this up to new heights for me. Before, I wouldn’t have the habit of leaving my PC on for ambient noise while I napped; and then, during the pandemic, I basically lived in Sky: Children of the Light 24/7 and my habit of AFK’ing while napping started there. For context: Sky is definitely up there in terms of cozy web games. It’s first and foremost a social game where you can make friends. Ways you can communicate with people before becoming friends with then and unlocking the chat function with them is primarily though emotes. In order to signal that a player is AFK, the player’s character will literally sit there with Z’s floating above their head. If you AFK long enough, the animation transitions to them literally taking a nap on the floor with the Z’s becoming more consistent. Because of that – on top of the wonderful nature ambience the game has — Sky was my go-to for AFK’ing while napping.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that I have been living the cozy web life without realizing it, and it’s nice to discover that it’s a phenomenon that’s been observed by others. Of course, not all of Gen Z subscribes to this idea, what with TikTok and everything, but I believe that they should. It’s so much comfier here. I am napping under the proverbial kotatsu of the cozy web in the comforts of my own spaces, and I hope that it stays that way for a long time.