Appeal to novelty
Also known as Argumentum ad novitatem
Logical fallacy
A reasoning error where we assume an idea, product or method is better simply because it is new. It is the mirror image of assuming the old way is best because it is traditional.
This is a classic fallacy from logic and rhetoric rather than an effect established by psychology experiments.
In everyday life
A company switches to the latest project-management app every year, assuming each one must be an improvement.
You replace a phone that works perfectly with this year's model because the ad calls it the 'latest,' though you can't name one thing it would do better for you.
Why your mind does this
Attention and energy are limited, so the brain gives priority to what is here, now and personal. Things we can see clearly or picture in detail feel more real and urgent than distant or abstract ones. Reacting quickly to the reward or threat in front of us often mattered more than planning for a far-off future.
Its family, in 30 seconds: The here & now
How to spot it
Ask yourself what the new option does better, apart from being new.
How to counter it
List the concrete benefits the new option offers over the current one, and switch only if the list holds up.
Same family: The here & now
- Hyperbolic discounting
- Appeal to novelty
- Identifiable victim effect
SourceWikipedia