Hopecore; one of the most prominent trends on TikTok during what many see as a dark time both politically and socially. The trend consists of heartwarming videos and inspirational quotes that are laid on top of natural landscapes with calming music. These videos allow viewers to destress from a long day or even escape from the all-consuming “doomscroll.” How does hopecore impact LHS students?
Starting earlier this year, posters have been hung up all around LHS, some having inspirational quotes, and others simply displaying a calming photo. These posters give students an unexpected feeling of inspiration and disguise the industrial walls that loom around the school.
Most high school students have the popular social media platform, TikTok. The algorithm on TikTok makes it so that once you like a video, more and more similar videos start appearing on your for you page. Since this algorithm works so well, it’s easy for trends to start. With the spread of hopecore, the more likes these videos get, the more widespread an audience they are going to reach.
Hopecore started back in February of 2024 and has continued to grow stronger as the months have gone by. The trend is at its peak currently, with the election and the start of the Trump administration, the younger generation in the United States has started to lose hope, especially when it comes to their futures. Hopecore is an outlet for them to remember that there is still hope in the world, and that they need to continue fighting.
“I love seeing other people’s positivity on my feed because it just reminds me of other people’s experiences and how they can all feel hope in different ways,” senior Giova Rubenstein said.
For ESOL coordinator and teacher, Kaite Hutchison, hope is more than just a trend, it’s an essential teaching tool.
“Sometimes for my students, they get overwhelmed from just the day-to-day pressures of school, especially being in a new environment, in a new language, new friends, all of that,” Hutchison said, “So when we think about why we’re here, I think hope is something that we really focus on because education is really the pathway to a better future.”
Hutchison noticed her students losing motivation towards the end of the first semester, so she decided to have them do a hope activity, writing things that gave them hope. She had also noticed all of the anti-immigrant rhetoric that was going around in the news and on social media.
“I wanted to remind them that one they’re welcome, so welcome, and two, we’ve always got strategies for all of us when we are struggling with hope,” Hutchison said.
For other students, hope and hopecore allow them to disconnect from the negative usually seen on social media.
“I think it’s like a palette cleanser and also I think it’s really well-intentioned because it has to do with restoring faith in people and the people around you and I think that’s a noble cause,” senior Thomas Sikes said.
Hopecore videos are a constant reminder that there is still joy in the world and that people care for and respect each other. High school can be a tough four years, and these reminders help students make it through. Translating the videos they see into their own lives, almost forcing students to put their phones down and glance around at the parts of their lives that give them hope and keep them going.
“I feel like humans in general are very affected by actionable things that other people do.” Sikes said. “So I think that seeing that is a really sort of concise and succinct way to see that real change is happening in the world.”
Hopecore is a refreshing sight among the negativity that has been spreading around social media for years. It’s a reminder of what is important in life; family, and spreading joy and hope.
“Who doesn’t love some hope?” Rubenstein said.
Videography by Beatrix Johnson.