>[!abstract]+ >An **availability cascade** is a social phenomenon in which a belief gains widespread acceptance through repeated exposure, regardless of its empirical validity. As claims are echoed by media, politicians, or peers, their familiarity makes them seem increasingly plausible, leveraging the cognitive bias of the availability heuristic (judging likelihood by ease of recall). The process can create self-reinforcing cycles where perception substitutes for evidence, driving public opinion, policy, or even moral panics. The concept highlights how information dynamics, rather than truth, often determine what becomes socially "obvious". >[!example]+ >A couple of shark attack happen, they get sensationalized by the media, the public gets overexposed to those stories, and suddenly people start overestimating how common shark attacks are (even though they're an extremely rare occurrence). The media availability has distorted the public's sense of frequency. >[!north]+ >[!west]+ >The [[Baader-Meinhof phenomenon]] is similar to the availability cascade, but at the individual level rather than collective: frequent or recent exposure to something makes it more likely to be noticed. >[!east]+ >[!south]+ >[!references]+ >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): — >- **West** (similar): [[Overton window]] >- **East** (different): — >- **South** (downstream): [[Abilene paradox]], [[Echo chamber]] ![[idea compass.base|no-toolbar]]