CoreCore: The Internet Phenomenon Taking Generation Z By Storm
What is CoreCore and how has it become one of the deepest trends the internet has ever seen?
If you're part of the younger generation or frequently browse apps like TikTok, chances are you've come across a CoreCore video or two. This thought-provoking and melancholic internet phenomenon has quickly become a dominant force in our virtual world, despite it only starting to trend a few months ago. But what exactly is CoreCore? How did something so depressing manage to capture the attention of millions on the world's most popular app? Let’s take a deep dive into this trend and discuss the profound impact it appears to be having on younger generations.
If you open TikTok and search “CoreCore” typically what you’ll find is a short video (~90 seconds) stitching together different pieces of media trying to convey a certain outlook of the internet age. More often than not these videos are trying to communicate the necessity of constant stimulation, materialism, and sometimes even pure nihilism. At first, CoreCore may come across as a meaningless compilation of videos strung together in a fleeting attempt to connect to a shared message, but the underlying meaning behind CoreCore has greater complexity and nuance than you’d think.
Something prevalent among folks of the internet generation is the concept of “the aesthetic” or “the -cores”. The idea of cultural norms from previous eras is essentially a manifestation of certain attributes of a community, presented in the form of an aesthetic or core. People who have grown up with the internet at their fingertips use those terms as a preset of sorts, in which they are constantly trying to replicate. Some of the earliest examples of these terms, emerging on platforms like MySpace and Tumblr, are “Cottage -Core”, “VSCO -Core”, or “Vaporwave -Core”. These “ -cores” were used to describe shared ideas, passions, and genre’s of different concepts and bundle them into a set category. The prevalence of more versatile social media platforms has caused this movement to evolve. “ -cores” now consist of dozens or hundreds of micro-clips, edited together harmoniously, all with a clear and obvious message.
CoreCore is basically the antithesis of that idea. Its existence resides in the fact that it can be anything, so long as it’s negative. It can connect any type of media, technology, or entertainment to funnel the central idea that life is meaningless, thanks to technology - specifically social media. Each clip is uniquely unsettling, disturbing, or thought-provoking, typically shedding light on the harmful impact that technology and social media can have on the mental health and well-being of young people. CoreCore videos have this unique ability to take a clip from a movie that was released 30 years ago, a 5 word snippet from an interview with a climate activist, a Timelapse sequence of a city in the wintertime, etc. and mesh them together into a powerful yet despondent montage that leaves the viewer feeling hopeless. CoreCore seems to have captivated Generation Z more than any other demographic - a bit of a sobering reality for the future of the human race.
CoreCore has emerged as a symbol of Generation Z's affinity for melancholic introspection. Over the past few months, TikTok has become saturated with nihilistic and excessively self-pitying CoreCore videos. Many members of Generation Z, a generation which I “proudly” represent, seem to have found a home within this hopeless and bleak form of entertainment. A search for CoreCore on TikTok shows a seemingly endless supply of disheartening videos, most of which feature the same Aphex Twin song, all aimed at inciting feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and despair. Strangely, young people seem to be drawn to this, as demonstrated by the comment sections, wherein the editors are praised for their ability to create new and innovative ways to plunge their viewers into deeper despair. It's almost as if there's an unhealthy competition to see who can make the most people feel miserable. This phenomenon is concerning, to say the least.
This question still remains: How did we allow this bleak form of media to hold such collective power over our lives? It appears to stem from our relationships with technology - specifically social media. With an entire generation raised on screens, exposed to a steady stream of inherently depressing content, it's no surprise that movements such as CoreCore have found a foothold amongst the youth. For the younger generation, myself included, our phones have become like an extension of ourselves, and when this "part of us" relentlessly bombards us with the bleakest aspects of the human experience (just take a glance at news headlines, or Twitter for that matter), it's natural to succumb to an art form that celebrates sadness, self-pity, and self-loathing. And eventually, it seems we can even build a “thriving” community out of it.
While it may not be the most uplifting Safe<br>Space article, it is important to examine the prevailing trends of our times and attempt to root them down to their true nature. Fear not though, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled “slightly less sad” programming tomorrow!