“This is my clubbing” and it's just a Rotating Kindle Holder and Pre-Made Cookies and Being Alone while pushing a Shopping Addiction: The Real Problems with Cozy Home Content Creators

"Self-care", individualism, unchecked nostalgia, and why this certain type of Home Goods content needs to be discussed more in a critical light

Good day fellow youth detectives <333

I did some sleuthing over the past month. My suspect… errr topic was Cozy content creators. There is not an official name for this genre, but I typically label it as Cozy Home DIY content creators, as I mostly focused in on content creators who embodied many of the “cozy” content traits but did not focus just on video games or reading. The 7 content creators I choose to investigate will not be named, but they all have over 400k followers on Instagram and all show up on each other’s suggested accounts list. They do a lot of the same paid collaborations and campaigns: Kindle, Home Goods, Ruggable, Target, Home Depot, etc.

Cozy home content creator in a nutshell: Gilmore Girls, Home Goods shopping trip to “gather”, an uncountable amount of pumpkins on the porch starting in August, prepackaged cookies made in an air fryer toaster oven, coffee bars and “start my morning with me” with whipped cream from a can and sprinkles, cozy switch gaming, “big plans for the weekend” hehe it’s just staying in, cinnamon rolls from a can while lighting a candle, content centering around countdown to Halloween or Christmas, kids or a cat maybe a husband or bf but not present, very short Reels that say “this is my clubbing” and it’s a paint brush and someone lighting a candle from Bath and Body Works, blankets and popcorn with an oversized festive mug from Hobby Lobby, diy gift baskets for an ad, easy baking recipes, and organized by color fantasy book collections… does that paint the picture?

The 7 Cozy home content creators I picked ranged from someone I used to follow as a fashion blogger to someone I lived in the same city with for a second to someone I used to follow on lookbook.nu even (it always blows my mind how long people can be online without getting burnt out!). This group of 7 is not a complete survey of the genre by any means, but I feel these are very prominent creators in the genre therefore will hold meaning to discuss. These creators have very high follower counts, which was one of my main signalers to being on my survey list. I must note that all of these creators present white. At first I wanted to specially look for a POC Cozy home creator that fit into this mold, but then I realized if I have to search this much, this is something that should be noted. This space is very white and also presenting straight if you view the people with the highest follower levels and most constant collaborations between big brands/businesses. Please note these things as you read through this. Remember when that Tiktoker said “all NYC influencers are the same and boring” and it was literally just all the blonde white skinny influencers who have the big following? Yeah…. there are more people out there, but these control the market unfortunately. So that’s why I am looking at these 7.

Again, The Official Nancy Drew Newsletter has paused paid subscriptions at this time, as so much of what we read is behind a paywall and the written word is getting harder and harder to find. If you enjoy my writing and content on Substack or Tiktok, please consider making a one-time donation via Venmo (@hioklindsey). If you want to support me in payment of a gift card or other form, please send me an email. I freelance while also being the primary care-giver of my toddler. All income goes toward living everyday life. Also! I’m writing a book! Stay tuned.

Before I continue with my analysis and findings, I must state I LOVE home decor and “making a home”. On my old fashion blog in the 2010’s I used to have a tagline of “Making everything cuter than it needs to be”. I still embrace that today. When I moved into my new house last August I painted a room pink the second day I moved in (I was like I NEED THIS). I like fall and Halloween and PSLs. I like decorating for Christmas and cheesy Christmas movies. I like wallpaper and Rifle Paper Co. and seasonal lattes.

On the surface level I like a lot of this content. I understand that content makes money and that sometimes the person behind the content is vastly different. I understand that this is a job for these creators. I understand that Reels are mostly just ads and that is their job. With my new series here, I am excited to be focusing on a more anti-capitalist and low consumption based approach to “making a home”. It felt right to discuss some issues with Cozy content today as I continue with that series.

I am also writing a book about fashion and politics, that will include a lot about internet aesthetics and content creators. This all ties together.

Swapping your things for “cute things” (pushing a shopping addiction)

All 7 of the creators seem to live at Home Goods. As I am obviously not the target audience for these videos (I have never been to Home Goods nor do I plan on going) I was interested how tied to this business they all are. It makes sense; new seasonal decor, obsession with fall, must keep redecorating your space so longtime followers do not get bored with your content, etc.

From my research, autumn is really the main season of events and countdowns for these top creators. This makes sense. Halloween, pumpkin spice flavored cookies and lattes, and pumpkin patches are special times (who doesn’t love this?), with Christmas time being a close second within the amount of content and focus on the holiday/season. All 7 content creators had more autumn Reels than Christmas Reels, and the autumn focused Reels surpass any other Reel content throughout the past two years.

Upon my research into the content of 7 cozy home creators, Kindle must have just released something new because everyone was including these ads around the same time. I see people on Tiktok often wondering “why do all my favorite influencers do the same ads?” and it’s because they probably are managed by the same agencies—plus there is a formula for each content genre and they work. We know influencers are ads, we know that there is probably more to them than just their content, and we know that this isn’t real life (no, their house does not always look perfect, unless that isn’t their real house and just their apartment they do content in lol). I imagine if you are really into a certain genre of content creation, you probably know exactly what ads are being pushed each week—because that’s your whole feed. AND THAT IS THE POINT, TO FLOOD YOUR FEED. The brands love that you have a favorite genre, they know that their product will be bought by at least one of the creators they paid. Cozy creators are not the only ones within this brand cycle of placement and timing.

“This is my clubbing”: A lack of community and encouragement to be anti-social

This might be the root of why I decided to write this. People are fucking lonely and don’t know how to make friends. Everyone feels isolated because the internet has isolated us—once a cool space has turned into somewhere we can’t wait to get off… or at least I think most of us here are on the same page lol. “Being annoyed is the price you pay for community” or whatever someone recently said. It’s true.

Many, no I did not count, but many of the 7 content creators repeat a similar message of “This is my clubbing”. The videos usually showcase a Pinterest-DIY, a very cute home, a puzzle, a Kindle, a switch, a candle, and some form of candy tray or cookie plate. Sometimes laying on the bed while doing all of this. There is a message in MANY of the videos stating that home is the place to be, why would I want to leave it? I don’t get FOMO, I love being at home!

I love my home too. I love decorating it and I love being cozy. But this messaging that goes through the entire span of content on the 7 creator’s feeds grosses me out. This is consistent. And while we know this is a genre of content, this is not someone’s whole life, it still sends this very odd message in a time where people are deeply lonely and anti-social agendas are weirdly popular. I would say they have become so popular because of this kind of content.

Whenever I bring up people being lonely, or people not doing as much, two things always come up so I will address them now: COVID and capitalism. True community is free, no one is advocating for expensive hobbies or clubs here. My most COVID conscious friends are probably the busiest (I literally plan a month out with them or more, they are booked with a social calendar like all of them lol) and most have extremely low screen times. Ok, moving on lol.

You should yes, in fact very much yes, leave your house. Things are happening in the world—real, trivial, meaningful, silly, and yeah at sometimes boring. When you cancel plans with others in the name of “self-care” you are being an asshole. You are cutting yourself off from things that are happening outside of your switch, your Kindle, and your cookies. Put down your phone, put down your puzzle, and go and do something. Or at least invite a few people over.

If you spend your screen time each week watching these content creators, it will impact you. You will begin to think your house needs to look like theirs (even though it’s been paid for by ads and it’s literally their job!). You will start to think that saying home and canceling plans is fine because these people project that they do it all the time!!!

The polar opposite of Trad Wife content

I have a strong interest in DIY, cooking/baking, and home decor/renovation (if y’all did already know that by now) so it’s only natural that I would have Cozy home or Trad Wife content pop up from scrolling. The aesthetics of the Trad Wife universe draw upon more Little House on the Prairie, homemade bread at every meal, neutrals, low waste (performance but not really tbh), a hard day’s work, etc. The Cozy home content creator is really the opposite.

Within the Cozy creator’s content is there is a lot of prepackaged food and snack. On multiple of the accounts I studied was the act of putting two different types of prepackaged and precut cookies together to form one cookie from the dough. The recipes often come from a box, or even completely already made (most of these were not sponsored by the food brand, or even a grocery store). The recipes (tbh I might not even call it that from here on out, they are not recipes) are very simple across the board on the 7 creators. But within Trad Wife or more Trad Wife-leaning under the category, the recipes are always from scratch and are often the center of content.

The Cozy content creator seems to be more about saving time. The more time saved, the more time to do a puzzle or read your Kindle. The Trad Wife content focus is the meal, the not the after activity. The Cozy content is, of course, cozy. Trad Wife content gives work hard (your husband needs you to watch all 8 kids without a nanny girl!) good things take time, rest later. Cozy content is not MAHA coded, or (surface level!!!!) MAGA coded at all.

I am not the first one to say this, but Trad Wife content is porn for conservative men (and probably women) and Cozy is not at all. Cozy isn’t under the surface sexualized, it’s for the female gaze not the male.

Some may say Trad Wife content is opposite of Cozy because Cozy focuses on purchasing. While Cozy does focus on purchasing, Trad Wife is not expelled from that by any means at all. The purchases of Trad Wife, from my general viewing, are often much more expensive than Cozy purchases. Cozy is fast fashion while Trad Wife is “staple everlasting items” aka luxuries. Both concepts of a highly consumption based society and both display the same class signals to those in their own worlds. Cozy is more approachable, affordable, and without the baggage of surface MAGA ties.

Cozy creator’s husbands are hardly ever shown, nor are the kids. The babies are shown far more than children, but generally children are not the center and only appear sometimes. In Trad Wife content children are very present, the husband is very present in physical form or just within discussion, and the home is this “traditional idea” of home—the Cozy creator’s home is still that, but it’s a place for the creator, not the family. The Cozy’s home is the project and never ends, the place of lighting candles and playing video games and eating cookies, and they will sell it all to you. The Trad Wife is still selling the “traditional home”

The intersection between Cozy/Home/Diy content and an unchecked nostalgia with Harry Potter

Cozy is intertwined with nostalgia, but the nostalgia can vary. From the 7 I surveyed nostalgia media included Gilmore Girls, Harry Potter, 90’s witch themed moves, and others that were not sponsored hardly ever (tied to a streaming platform or release). The one I noticed that was pretty much across platforms (minus one person) was Harry Potter.

A long time ago Harry Potter was almost considered rebellious and progressive to read. Growing up in the Bible Belt (I wrote about that some here) I knew many kids who weren’t allowed to read Harry Potter because it depicted witchcraft and it was “satanic”. Even a few years ago I was interviewing for a school librarian job in Texas where Harry Potter was brought up as a series that many kids at the school were not allowed to read due to parent’s personal values.

I don’t think I’ll ever have my daughter read Harry Potter, but that’s because the author is a transphobic POS and when you reread her books the values ALSO do not aline with mine. But ofc, the parent’s at the school didn’t want their kids to read the series because of witchcraft, not because of her depictions of fat people lol.

Of the 7 surveyed all have showcased a pride flag, discussed “happy pride”, or reflected on “democratic values”. It’s interesting to me how present Harry Potter is within these creators. Because unlike Trad Wife, the Cozy creators are not conservative male porn nor upholding “traditional family values” in an American flag let’s have 7 babies way. The Cozy creators are generally millennial (as I mention above I do not know the ages, but I am very confident in this statement) and millennial nostalgia is linked to Harry Potter if it goes unchecked. I write about nostalgia more in these pieces below, and I have also discussed that concept heavily on my Tiktok series “Is your favorite aesthetic fascist, or not?” Nostalgia can be toxic, and while we all know Trad Wife nostalgia is very much toxic, it can present itself in different formats through imagery like “cozy”, “comfort”, or “cute”. Why do we still highlight this TERF psycho??? Then put a pride flag up in June?

They do it for a few reasons. Harry Potter is marketed aging millennials and Gen z / millennial cusps as the comfort read. And we wonder why do Boomers hold onto things that are sooooo dated and distasteful? It’s because of nostalgia, and it’s often pushed on us through media and now through content. This type of content, though it does not hold the same obvious values of Trad Wife content, can still appeal to a wide variety of audiences. Apolitical zoomers, upper class white liberals, marvel Stans, theme park adults, funky pop collectors, all get to buy things and indulge nostalgia without having to think about where things come from.

Wrapping up the reports <3

I get asked sometimes if I am on BlueSky. I am not, but my husband is. He’s a little older than me, he likes the act of cozy (and reread Harry Potter a lot before finally dumping J.K. Rowling), and he reports that many BlueSky white middle/upper middle class liberals claim that “self-care is an act of resistance”. Maybe this would have been groundbreaking on Tumblr in the early 2010’s, but this is 2025 and I fear we have all learned that this is bullshit. This is white liberalism, and this is not helping.

In 2020, we started seeing a lot of white liberal nonfiction hit the shelves (think Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility) to help white people feel ok about being white, while not centering actual critiques of capitalism and present the book as a “cure-all”. If you read one of these selections in your book club, you were doing the work. If you put up a pride flag, if you share a graphic about prison reform or sex workers, and you are a girlboss who is her own boss!!!! you too are doing the work. Stick it to the man, I’m a feminist!!!! I love capitalism, but don’t tell…. Time for self-care because that was really tough!!! Let’s watch Harry Potter, shhhhh we separate the art from the artist around here, my followers know that I accept my trans followers duh I posted the trans flag on my story last week <3333

Self-care is rooted in capitalism. Within Cozy content, it means staying home and buying cheap items. Self-care CAN be a radical form of resistance, but that's for groups who are seeking equality and who are oppressed. This type of self-care is about knowing that you are in a life-long battle, and sometimes you must pause and care for yourself while you are fighting the fight. Self-care as we see it presented on social media now is simply a tool to distance and distract yourself into more capitalism… and forgetting about current events and your community. There is a genocide happening in Palestine. People are being disappeared off the streets and taken from their homes in the United States. My husband was just at Lake Street in Minneapolis yesterday and there was tank and a ton of ICE agents. This is happening everywhere.

There is always room for Cozy content, there is always room for making money, and this isn’t to tell you your entire content should only center around activism or current events. But connecting yet again to everything I write about, our escapism will not save us nor is it any form of resistance. It is important to take time for yourself, make things cute as fuck for no reason other than that, but it is important to be with people. Be with people for a BBQ in your backyard, be with people for celebrations big and small (and not cancel and stay home!!), and be with people in your community who might need your help. If you have the time to be cozy, you have the time to show up and think about what you are consuming.