Today’s story is a true test of “if you didn’t post it on Instagram, did it even happen?”
That’s because an influencer hailed by some as the first woman to ever visit all of the countries in the world is being sued for claiming such a title.
First, the idea that someone just achieved that in the past several years is pretty absurd on its face. PetaPixel reminds us that such an honor likely belongs to Dorothy Pine who famously traveled the world in the 20th century.
But did she post it to Instagram or YouTube or any other social media platform? Sadly, she did not (end sarcasm).
So, who’s suing an influencer over claiming something like “first woman ever to visit every country in the world?”
An organization called Travelers United claims that Cassie De Pecol’s claim is “false advertising.”
Specifically, the lawsuit says De Pecol “defrauded investors and sponsors by telling them she was the first woman to travel to every country on earth when she was not, but she also misled and deceived press even years on, about her accomplishments.”
And it isn’t like this is some small story covered in only a handful of niche outlets. De Pecol’s social media adventures got her recognized by the Guinness Book of World records and major news stations such as CNN.
Going back to the metric itself, depending on how you measure this kind of thing, there are a bunch of different answers but general consensus is that De Pecol is not the first woman to accomplish such a feat. Who is, however, remains a topic of debate.
What it does point out is the world’s obsession with documenting every facet of our lives on social media and then using that archive as some kind of proof of life lived or whatever. It’s honestly quite sad when you zoom out (pun intended) and look at the bigger picture.
What’s your take on documenting every single thing on social media? What about the first women to see all of the countries in the world? Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments.
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