It’s best to look at the bandwagon fallacy as a variant of two other fallacies rather than as a distinct fallacy. More precisely, it’s an effect, the bandwagon effect that occurs when the appeal to popularity or the appeal to the people fallacy is made.
What exactly is the bandwagon effect? It’s the product of a fallacious argument that states something to be true because it’s popular. Or, because a certain group or many people believe it to be true. As it will be later demonstrated, this fallacy has various aspects to it.
Example 1:
“The Flat Earth theory is getting more and more popular, many people believe in it, even celebrities. That’s what leads me to believe that the Earth is flat.”
This is an example of the bandwagon effect that occurs from the appeal to popularity fallacy.
Example 2:
“I see that tattoos on the face are the trend right now. People are tattooing their eyes and forehead, many must think it looks cool. What do you say? Let’s get one.”
Also appeal to popularity that calls to action rather than evaluating something as true.
Example 3:
Speaker A: Why do you feel sad?
Speaker B: X celebrity died today.
Speaker A: I’m sorry to hear that. Did you know him, were you a fan?
Speaker B: Not really, I haven’t heard of him until today. I read online that many people are mourning him.
A bandwagon effect that leads the person to feel what a certain group of people feels.
Example 4:
“I don’t think I’m a bad person because I’m eating meat. Almost everyone is doing it.”
An appeal to the majority that justifies an action.
In Example 1, the speaker has come to the conclusion that the Earth is flat because that theory is getting popular. Although in essence this is an appeal to popularity, the bandwagon effect occurs. The speaker is afraid of being left in the dark while the rest are enlightened, so he jumps in the wagon with the rest of the believers.
The problem is not with the theory but with how the person reached his conclusion. Although improbable, the flat earth theory could be true. Either way, if we believe something like that we need to present proof that will support our conclusion. And the popularity of a theory cannot be a legitimate premise.
In Example 2 we have a similar situation. The reason for wanting something or doing something is based on the popularity of that something. This is not as dangerous as Example 1, because truth is not attributed to anything. It just speaks to the absurdity of how people set goals and desires.
We meet with this bandwagon effect in everyday life. In every group of friends, there is a person that will propose something to be done because of its popularity, like taking a group selfie. And all of sudden you found yourself in the wagon with the rest.
Example 3 also represents a harmless side of the bandwagon fallacy. It differs from the other variants because it makes the speaker feel something rather than stating something to be true or calling for action. The effect occurs from the emotive appeal to the people.
Example 4 is not as explicit as the other examples. It can sneak up on people, some actions that are immoral are justified with the bandwagon effect. Don’t be confused, eating mad is not necessarily immoral, but appealing to the people is not a way to justify that action.
This is a dangerous aspect of the bandwagon fallacy. Many actions that are considered immoral or that may cause pain can be justified with this method. A common way to justify building a nuclear plant is that many advanced nations are doing it. Some of these actions can indeed be justified but not with associating with some group or shifting blame.
In conclusion, the main problem with the bandwagon fallacy is that people don’t want to be left out. It’s in our nature to do and think as the majority thinks. We like food that everybody likes, we cheer for teams that everybody likes etc… Nonetheless, reason cannot be associated with this way of thinking.