Bandwagon Fallacy: Why 'Everyone Does It' Isn't an Argument

What is the bandwagon fallacy?

The bandwagon fallacy argues from numbers: lots of people think it, so it's true; lots of people do it, so it's fine. The name comes from the old image of a parade wagon that people jump onto because it's where the crowd is going. Logic textbooks call it ad populum, an appeal to the people.

Crowds can be right, and often are. But what makes a claim true is the evidence, not the headcount. Plenty of things everyone believed have turned out to be wrong, and plenty of things nearly everyone does are bad ideas for a particular family, couple or person.

'Everybody does it': bandwagon arguments at home

Every parent of a teenager knows the opening line: 'Everyone else is allowed to.' It's the bandwagon in its purest form, and it's usually also a hasty generalization, since 'everyone' tends to mean three friends. Adults do it too. 'All our friends are engaged by now.' 'Every couple we know splits the bills fifty-fifty.' 'Nobody irons anymore.'

Social media makes the comparison constant, and highly selective. You see the vacation and the anniversary post, not the argument in the car on the way there. Arguing about what 'everyone' does tends to turn a decision about your life into a contest with an imaginary average.

Bandwagon Fallacy examples

When popularity is a fair reason

Popularity isn't always irrelevant. It counts as evidence in a few situations:

Questions about norms

If the argument is whether something is rude, how most people see it is part of the answer. Etiquette is, by definition, about shared expectations.

Coordination

Driving on the right, using the app the whole family has, picking the restaurant most of the group can reach. Here going with the crowd is the point.

A hint worth checking

If thousands of people rely on a product, that's a reason to look at why. It's a starting point for evidence, not a substitute for it.

Social cost

For a teenager, being the only one without something can carry a real social cost. That's a fair reason to weigh, even though 'everyone has one' isn't a reason on its own.

Bandwagon fallacy examples

Listen for 'everyone', 'nobody', 'most people' and 'normal' carrying the argument:

• 'Everyone's kids have phones by eleven.'
• 'Nobody cooks from scratch anymore.'
• 'Most couples our age already own a house.'
• 'Every company uses this software, so it must be the best.'
• 'This video has ten million views, so it's probably true.'

How to respond to a bandwagon argument

Two questions do most of the work. First: is it actually true that everyone does it? Often it isn't, and finding that out gently takes the pressure off. Second: even if it is, does that make it right for us? What other people choose is useful information, not a decision.

Then look for the real reason underneath. A teen who says everyone has a phone may be telling you they feel left out of the group chat. A partner who says all your friends are engaged may be telling you they want to talk about the future. Those are real conversations, and they go better than arguing about the statistics. They come up a lot in arguments with parents.

Bandwagon arguments are close cousins of the appeal to authority: one leans on a crowd, the other on a famous name. If you'd like to check whether a reply leaned on 'everyone' instead of a reason, our free argument judge flags it.

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