Gen Z has normalized ‘doomscrolling' — the act of excessively consuming negative news online and even falling asleep with the content still open. While it’s a common practice, the never-ending flood of content about the climate crisis shared has actually been shown to have negative effects on their mental health, inducing a state of eco-anxiety* — the feeling of being alone and helpless in their fight for climate justice. So, as a brand looking to change the perception of the climate crisis and show there’s still hope, let’s turn the negatively-viewed behaviour into a positive action that unites advocates around the world.

*Nature.com 2024 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00998-6

HopeScrolling is a digital initiative that hacks the TikTok algorithm and turns 'doomscrolling' into climate activism. By leveraging the Auto Scroll function within the app, users can auto-view and ‘HopeScroll’ endless streams of Dandelion Project and climate justice-related content, boosting it and our presence within the app globally — even if they fall asleep or leave their phone idle while doing it. Like a dandelion blowing through the wind, our messaging will grow to be unignorable ahead of COP30, as we send an ever-expanding amount of climate optimism “seeds” to people’s feeds across the globe that recruit more Dandelions to join our movement and advocate for a climate-safe world.

Many Gen Zs on TikTok have an interest in climate justice but don’t know how to take action on their own, leaving them feeling anxious and hopeless. HopeScrolling is unique in that it gives them a simple and achievable way to make a difference as a collective group through leveraging something they already do on the app. Given the nature of the TikTok algorithm, we’ll also reach a secondary global audience on and off TikTok as the content and Project Dandelion’s mission goes more viral. We can even engage influencers on the app to post content with #ProjectDandelionHopeScroll to spread our reach even more and contribute to the stream of content.

During their next 'doomscroll', TikTok users can search “Dandelion Project” in the app to view our video that details our goals and explains how HopeScrolling works. They then simply turn on Auto Scroll and let the algorithm do its work. As they continue to auto-view and 'HopeScroll' related climate justice content and content from influencers we partner with, those videos garner more and more engagement. This boosts both their reach and Project Dandelion’s presence on the platform.

Like dandelions growing in a field, our message will spread like weeds. It creates a never-ending cycle of engagement: the more people ‘HopeScroll’ and become a Dandelion, the more people organically view the content and participate, the bigger our movement becomes. HopeScrolling has the potential to get people around the world to learn about Project Dandelion in an organic way, scroll for hope on their own, and advocate for climate justice together.