Hopecore: The Antidote to Our Apathy?

By Cecilia Floros

If you’ve been on any form of social media in the past year, you’ve probably seen examples of a certain type of video that’s been dubbed ‘Hopecore.’ Usually containing clips of tender moments between couples, laughs among friends, beautiful scenes of nature, sweet animal interactions, etc, all set to a song that inspires feelings of happiness, limerence, gratitude, and the feeling of ‘the world is so wide, and here I am.’ Songs by The Cranberries, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, The Sundays, Sam Cooke, Queen, ABBA, The Cure, and Joni Mitchell, to name a few, have all been the backtrack to Hopecore edits I’ve come across personally. Between posts about the horrors of our world, being able to get lost in a short video that highlights the beauty that still exists throughout humanity is a balm for the frazzled nerves of any social media user. I know that I have certainly shed many tears because of Hopecore videos, especially ones dedicated to showcasing small, seemingly insignificant moments between friends or families that actually mean everything in the grand scheme of things.

What’s the Appeal?

So often, it’s hard to keep a positive mindset when scrolling on your social media feeds. Sometimes, positivity can feel forced or even contrived. But Hopecore offers something different, as compared to standard positivity posts that some of us are completely numb to (like that one news agency that only posts the good news from each day.) Hopecore videos can be made by any average Joe with a phone or computer. They’re not fancily edited in AfterEffects. They’re like video versions of Pinterest boards; they’re curated, sometimes niche, with clips of TV shows, movies, interviews, and any other video that can inspire happiness in the viewer. Hopecore videos stir something deep within so many of us, and it’s hard to put a finger on what that feeling is. Gratitude? Nostalgia? Sonder? Joy? Awe? There’s something truly beautiful about coming across an edited set to one of your favorite songs that you thought nobody else liked, with clips of movies you thought nobody else knew about, and references that make you feel deeply understood.

So, are Hopecore Edits the Cure?

I know that we’ve all been lectured to death about how detrimental social media is for our mental health as young people, but a bright spot in the dark abyss that is Instagram, TikTok, and X is that there are snippets of hope strewn about. While, obviously, a few edits can’t cure social media of all its ills, they certainly make the Internet a better place to be, and I hope the trend doesn’t go anywhere anytime soon.