Staff Writer- Hailey Hathaway-Oxley
It is easy to assume that our emotions and internal world are of our own making, and that the sudden onset of a heavy mood, a lingering sense of melancholy, or an unexplainable downward spiral is entirely our fault. We scrutinize our thoughts, replay recent interactions, and wonder why a cloud has settled over our day. Yet, we frequently overlook the emotional environment we willingly step into every time we put on our headphones or turn on our favorite depressing (though comforting) TV show. The media does not merely reflect our inner state, it can actively shape and even create it. The shift in how we consume music, literature, and social content reveals a growing awareness of this dynamic and has been creating a quiet cultural transition from heavy, emotional wallowing to intentional positivity.
A clear illustration of this shift can be seen in the changing listening habits surrounding indie artist Mitski, a hugely popular artist who peaked in popularity around 2020, with songs such as “Your Best American Girl” and “Strawberry Blonde” finding their way to the indie charts after their explosion on TikTok. Her music is noted as being incredibly insightful, but also incredibly moody. Listeners praise her work for raw emotional intelligence, lyrical precision, and profound honesty. However, her discography is steeped in deep melancholia. For a long time, listeners found an emotional catharsis from spending hours steeped in her haunting melodies.
Over time, a noticeable shift has occurred: there has been a drop in recent years of Mitski listeners. A growing number turning out and citing a correlation of mental health improvement after removing themselves from listening to Mitski and other sad artists and leaning into more upbeat tunes like those of Sabrina Carpenter or Zara Larsson. They say that when they listen to Mitski on a loop, they end up wallowing in their emotions rather than finding comfort in it. After switching from Mitski to Sabrina, they found that their day-to-day outlook shifted. With the change in music, the emotional trajectory of the listener changed.
This can extend far beyond music: compulsive consumption of tragic news, distressing films, or heartbreaking novels can trap the mind in a feedback loop. When exposed to distress, pain, or existential dread on repeat, the brain absorbs these emotional cues, and may also turn one bad mood into a downward spiral.
Recognizing this passive vulnerability has fueled the rise of an internet movement known as “hopecore,” arising as a direct antidote to endless doomscrolling and negative online commentary, hopecore intends to restore mindfulness and genuine hopefulness to digital spaces. Instead of scrolling through TikToks or Reels and seeing videos of war or pain and depravity, users can now see photos of sweet dogs sleeping captioned with “how I sleep knowing that I get another chance tomorrow.” It acts as an intentional gentle nudge, reminding viewers that joy, beauty, and strength can coexist alongside life’s difficulties.
The rise of hopecore highlights a vital lesson in wellness, especially digitally: we must actively audit the media we consume. If you find yourself slipping into a dark mood or feeling unexpectedly overwhelmed, remember that it isn’t always an internal failing. Extenuating external factors, the song playing in your earbuds, the shows you binge, or the algorithm you scroll before bed, can play a massive role in dictating your emotional state.
Being mindful of your media intake does not mean that you have to dip into toxic positivity and stop feeling your feelings; it is simply a wellness check to see if that movie you’re watching for the 10th time even though you know it makes you upset is really necessary. Just as physical well-being relies on nourishment, so does mental well-being rely on healthy inputs. Taking control of your media ecosystem and choosing content that builds hope rather than throws you into the pits of despair, is one of the most effective ways to protect your peace of mind.