A group of Andover students has recently created a website and social media page to provide what it describes as “a daily dose of all things teen.” Founded by Izzy Dastgheib ’23 and Hannah Dastgheib ’22, dazzledotcom works closely with fellow Andover students in addition to teenagers from other schools to post recipes, beauty advice, current events, and student interviews.
Izzy Dastgheib and Hannah Dastgheib explained the inspiration behind the origins of dazzledotcom and shared how the account aims to foster connection amid the pandemic.
“The inspiration was just being remote and not being able to connect with friends and stuff. So it kind of started off as a place for just friends to communicate and share about their passions… It’s also a community for teens to find a safe space to connect… for people to talk about things that they’re interested in, to give advice and accept everyone for who they are,” said Hannah Dastgheib.
Over 25 girls from 15 different schools post about their passions and interests on the account. According to Izzy Dastgheib, none of the club members are given assignments. Instead, they are encouraged to only post what they are passionate about.
“It’s not like anyone’s forced or there’s a fixated schedule, but because the club has—I think a really unique group of people who are all really passionate about what they’re reading and what they’re doing—that’s what makes the content so fun,” said Izzy Dastgheib.
According to member Kareena Dua ’23, dazzledotcom emerged from group conversations on Snapchat and a mutual goal to provide connection. The account now holds presence among various social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok.
Reese DiBiase ’23, another member of dazzledotcom, elaborated upon the ways in which the account hopes to interact with users, particularly in its role for giving advice.
“We realized that it’s more like we want to be big sisters to people [and] give advice… We want it to be a place where people can come and just feel really welcome. So now we try to give advice as much as we can and just make it a fun place. Anyone can be a part of it. And we just want everyone to feel welcome,” said DiBiase.
Although dazzledotcom initially only focused on fashion inspiration, it has since grown to include other branches of content as a club, according to Dua. For example, it introduced Tuesday Talks, which feature interviews with other students focused on different members’ interests such as sports and investing.
Dua emphasized the club’s commitment to providing a welcoming environment and safe space for everyone, and shared the account’s unique approaches to reaching its audience.
“We’re high school girls. We go through everything. What we post is what’s relevant to us, what we like, and [what] others can attract to. I think that whole ambience of it being really laid back, and not school related, [providing] other productive things to do… I think that’s what makes it unique,” said Dua.
Editor’s Note: Hannah Dastgheib is an Associate Graphic Editor for The Phillipian.
