From one internet scandal to another it seems that Dote, the "shopping app for gen z" as stated on their website, has been in hot water lately as allegations of racisms, segregation, and an overall lack of diversity has begun to spread.
These allegations have been brought up by numerous people of color that were sponsored by Dote and even went on the full expense paid trips to places such as Fiji, and Coachella.
Danielle Perkins, a YouTuber, person of color, and Dote girl who went on the trip posted a vlog where she can be seen having a "mental breakdown" and expresses how she "felt different and not in a good way." This would lead to many followers, and Dote girls, to also realize that one side of the Coachella house was all white girls in bunk beds and the other side was the girls of color sleeping on makeshift couch beds. Kianna Naomi would then follow Danielle's footsteps and post a video talking about her soul-crushing experience in Fiji where she "felt like the token black girl."
After that, a few more girls would create a video and recollect their experience as a person of color on this trip which would finally lead to Dote to issue a statement that said "we did not-and would never-intentionally groups girls together based on any racial characteristics" on Twitter. While most did not accept or believe this apology, Dote's actions and its mission brings up many conversations that people should be talking about.
Such as, why is there a rise in skinny, white, blonde hair, blue eyed quirky girls influencing a whole generation of young girls instead of a mix of all races and sizes? These fans of Dote girls are primarily younger, twelve to fourteen-year-old girls, who have impressionable minds. These girls might be influenced by what Dote considers beautiful and "popular," which is being skinny and white. The lack of diversity in brands can harm young girls such as them leading to internal racism, and developing eating disorders at young ages.
Dote's mistakes are not only being seen by the Dote girls, but also the thousands of fans. Whether skinny or fat, tall or short, white or any other race, you are beautiful and do not let a brand with a lot of money tell you otherwise.
