The '#dreamcore' aesthetic is TikTok's unsettling, nostalgia-filled obsession

Whether you know it or not, you’re probably already familiar with “Dreamcore TikTok”. The TikTok hashtag, which has drawn more than 340 million views, is massively popular — especially for something so unsettling. Dreamcore videos often feature old, grainy footage, with a soundtrack of creepy electronic music. Often, these dreamlike videos hinge on generic childhood memories — like attending a birthday party, or visiting the movie theater. They depict places that, depending on your age, you certainly could’ve been before. Dreamcore TikTok's sense of nostalgia is creepy, dark and bizarre. Dr. Brian Wind told In The Know that nostalgia can at times be a “mixed” emotion, depending on the context. In the comments of the most popular #dreamcore videos, you’ll find a range of emotions. Often, users will reminisce and mourn their childhoods in the same sentence. “I wanted to grow up so bad [back then]. Now I hate the fact that I’m growing up,” one user commented on a popular video