In recent years, unhappiness has become a trend. From the Tumblr days of sad quotes and angsty dialogue to the rise in hate pages and trolls online, being detached has become the societal norm. People are too afraid to be present, happy or have any feelings at all.
Our generation has become conditioned to believe that “nothing really matters” as a defense mechanism. We are the generation that has been forced to deal with the repercussions of those who came before us. Our parents and grandparents could act in destructive ways but did not experience fear because they felt they might not live to see the damage. Whereas, we are constantly reminded of our doomed fate.
Yes, if you decide to look at all of the odds against us, the odds are not in our favor, but it all depends on your perspective. There is always something to be upset about, but, there are also so many things to be excited about. This is why “Hopecore” has become so popularized on the internet. Isolation and detachment have been coined as a defense for so many young people when in reality, community and feeling your emotions are the most beautiful parts of being human.
Hopecore is the “optimist aesthetic”. The Urban Dictionary defines Hopecore as “A genre of videos that invoke a feeling of hope, glee, wholeness and most happy emotions. They can range from nostalgic clips to beautiful scenery and usually have audio of spliced together videos and songs.” In the past, it was cool to be unaffected and pessimistic about everything.Hopecore is the opposite. Often, you will see slideshows of different quotes about life, or poems that allude to something greater than yourself. Usually, they are accompanied by a Phoebe Bridgers or Bon Iver song in the background. Many creators have taken to platforms like TikTok to share their perspectives on the Hopecore lens.
Poet and TikTok creator, izshealr, posted a poem on the pessimistic views of our generation. “There is no real comfort in saying nothing matters, everything matters,” she said. “Pain is a privilege. Try not to rip it out or to cure it. Nurse it, for as long as it lets you.”
There is beauty in everything if you allow yourself to see it. Being in your twenties is a time of uncertainty, as there are people around you in all stages of life. Shutting your emotions off may seem like the easiest way out, especially because at this age there are a lot of them. Yet, there are lessons to be learned even through the most difficult feelings. Navigating early adulthood is extremely grueling, and it is even harder when you do not allow yourself to feel hopeful.
Hopecore aims to fight a generation of people who are trying to go through life competing to see who can be the most heartless. There is power in being passionate, having hobbies and loving your life. Most importantly, there is power in remaining optimistic. This generation is so embarrassed to show they care about anything, so they will live their lives caring about nothing in fear of how others perceive them. Tumblr user headspace-hotel said it best, “The theme that always resonates with me most in stories is, ‘“The world is cruel; therefore I won’t be.”
Optimism, though a daunting concept when the world seems bleak, can pull us through our darkest days. Without a sense of hope, we are left floundering, so let’s embrace the optimism and allow ourselves to feel our emotions.
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