Neo-fallacies

New forms of fallacious reasoning that have emerged in the digital age—errors that didn't exist or weren't recognized before the internet. Neo-fallacies include sealioning (relentless bad-faith questioning), concern trolling (expressing fake concern to undermine), and the many forms of online manipulation documented earlier in this dictionary. They're fallacies for the networked age, adapted to the peculiar conditions of digital discourse. Recognizing neo-fallacies requires updating logical theory to match contemporary practice.

Neo-fallacies Example: "He wasn't arguing; he was sealioning—endless 'just asking questions' that never engaged, never satisfied, never ended. Neo-fallacy: a new form of bad-faith interaction enabled by digital platforms. She couldn't fight it with traditional fallacy tools; she had to recognize the new form and respond appropriately—by not engaging at all."

Neo-fallacies by Abzugal March 7, 2026