What’s Hopecore, And Can It Save Us From Doomscrolling?

Keeping up to date with TikTok's latest ‘core trends is no easy feat. 

From normcore to cottagecore to goblincore, the now-famous suffix has defined a new era of fashion crazes. 

But these catch-all aesthetics aren’t just about style. 

They’re more than that. 

They often signal the moods, feelings and attitudes of young people.  

Enter hopecore, the latest ‘core trend coming to a feed near you.  

As its name suggests, hopecore is a genre of videos that invoke a feeling of hope.

Often in the form of nostalgic clips and beautiful scenery, spliced together with uplifting audio. 

The trend currently has over 2.7 billion views. 

So, why hopecore? And why now?

Well, part of the trend’s success seems to stem from its ability to encourage viewers to persevere despite the hardship they may be facing.  

In this sense, it’s closely linked to Optimistic Nihilism (see Issue 01 of The Upside). 

Perhaps more importantly, though, hopecore is a way for Gen Z to curate more positive social feeds — providing young people with a way to protect their health from the effects of an increasingly negative news cycle.