The modern peril of the availability heuristic

BehavioralEconomics.com is sounding the alarm: in the age of endless feeds, our brains aren’t just fooled by what we see — we’re now suspicious of what we don’t. The piece coins “UnAvailability Bias,” the idea that when expected info isn’t visible, people treat the absence as proof it doesn’t exist. One camp cheered, calling it a much-needed label for the ‘pics-or-it-didn’t-happen’ era. Another camp snapped back: this just feels like a fancy way to shame skeptics. The third? Meme lords, obviously.

After a recent high‑profile case where custody photos weren’t circulating, conspiracy threads took off. Some commenters declared, “No mugshot, no suspect,” while others linked court records and reminded everyone that privacy rules, media policies, and timing can block images. The drama peaked with “Schrödinger’s suspect” jokes — simultaneously real and fake until a screenshot appears. Meanwhile, platform warriors blamed algorithms that reward outrage over nuance, asking why “boring truth” never trends. Critics warned the term could be weaponized to dismiss legit questions; supporters argued it’s a crucial reminder that absence isn’t evidence. And yes, someone dropped the meme: “404: Evidence Not Found,” to which a reply added, “Try refreshing your critical thinking.” Read the availability heuristic explainer for context.