Are Computer Mouses Cheugy? Is the Word 'Cheugy' Cheugy?

If I were stranded on a deserted island, my mouse would absolutely be coming with me. But am I the only one who feels this way?

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

This is a very niche post that I was inspired to write as I sit here at a tiny table sprawled out with my laptop, mouse and mousepad. I will admit, I don’t typically see people taking the whole kit and kaboodle on the go with them. But for me, it’s an absolute necessity.

Like many of you I’m sure, I’ve had a laptop for almost 20 years. I’m obviously well-acquainted with its use. But for the life of me, I can’t get anything done without my mouse. And I don’t understand how people do it all with just a trackpad! Especially when it comes to scrolling down long lists and having to click on many things. Sure, I can write this Substack without it, but when it comes to doing things that require a lot of research or busy movement on the internet, absolutely not.

In fact, when I went to Portland last year, I accidentally left my mouse on the plane. When I realized this, I immediately had a new one Amazon’d over to the Ritz-Carlton, where I was staying. The employees must have thought I was crazy because I kept frantically checking in to see if my package had arrived. It took a day longer than expected and I was in shambles.

I made a new writer friend on a press trip to Tulum earlier this year, and I’ll never forget her reaction when we plopped open our laptops at the beach. Mind you, she’s 10 years younger than me. So maybe she’s never used one of these things? I shamelessly continued mouse-padding away.

Even as recently as this New York trip, my brother, too, made a shocked comment. I proudly defended this little gadget with my life.

So, yes, this begs the question, are mouses dated? Cheugy? A sign that I’m an elder millennial? And speaking of which, I have to also bring up the word “cheugy” because it was a hot catchphrase on TikTok amid the pandemic. A Gen Z girl from Beverly Hills started saying it as a way to describe things that are dated or not cool anymore. In the moment, it was synonymous with the whole millennial side-part, skinny jeans saga. Ahh, memories. In fact, the NY Times did a whole feature on this very word in 2021. I usually don’t like of-the-moment lingo but for some reason this one stuck.

So, this begs the question… am I the only one who still uses it, just like my treasured mouse? Is my mouse the skinny jeans of technology? Will it ever make a comeback?