Summary
The fallacy I decided to choose was the bandwagon. The Bandwagon fallacy is when the validity of an idea or argument is based on the number of people who accept it. It suggests that something must be true or good because many people believe in it or follow it. Essentially, it's an appeal to popularity rather than evidence or sound reasoning. An example of the bandwagon effect is the teen's subway surfing in NYC. I believe this is an example of the bandwagon effect because it’s only being done due to its popularity. On social media, we see countless videos of teens on top of the subway. Even though sometimes these “joyrides” take a deadly turn this still doesn’t discourage them. Due to the frequency of the act, it’s gaining popularity. For my example, I found an article. The article is titled “NYC Officials are trying to Stop the deadly social media trend of 'Subway Surfing' by Dustin Jones. In the article, it stated “New York Police Department Chief of Transit Michael Kemper noted the rise in deaths during a public safety briefing last month. He said four teens died in the first six months of 2023, with two more seriously injured. By comparison, there were five suspected subway surfing fatalities between 2018 and 2022, according to Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) spokesperson Michael Cortez”. The article also states there have been "dozens of apprehensions and over 70 arrests" involving subway surfing this year. Subway surfing is a very dangerous stunt to attempt and there is no sound reasoning for it to be attempted. Because their friends think it's cool to do, they follow.
https://www.npr.org/2023/08/17/1194223893/subway-surfing-deaths-new-york-city-teens-social-media
One thought on “Essence Edmonds Convo 7”
Your analysis vividly demonstrates the bandwagon fallacy in action through the perilous trend of subway surfing among teens, showcasing how this fallacy operates in society. The rise of subway surfing, largely popularized through social media, exemplifies how individuals, especially teens, engage in risky behavior simply because it’s gaining traction and visibility online. The increasing incidents and fatalities, as outlined in the NPR article, serve as a stark reminder of the severe consequences of blindly following these trends. Despite the evident dangers and tragic outcomes, this trend persists due to its popularity, emphasizing how people often follow activities based on their visibility and acceptance rather than considering the risks involved. This real-world scenario underscores the dangers of embracing actions solely due to their popularity, rather than weighing the risks or exercising sound judgment.