The Sunk Cost Fallacy Helps Companies Hold You Hostage

Another possible cause of fanboyism is what economists call the sunk cost fallacy. The sunk cost fallacy means you'll spend more money (and time) to salvage a purchase you've already made. We've certainly mentioned this before in context of upgrading gadgets and in finances, but it fuels fanboyism just as well. Sunk cost plays into fanboyism for a simple reason: the cost to switch from one thing to another is often obnoxiously high. You can't just jump ship from the PS3 to the Xbox and keep your library of games. You can't go from Android to Apple and use the apps you've already purchased, or the time you’ve spent learning the OS. Switching platforms involves investing in new apps, getting used to the new system, and buying new copies of software you already own. It's horrible and since you've already spent so much money on the product you have right now, the last thing you want to do is spend more money to purchase those things again. So, your brain defends your platform and you inadvertently become a fanboy.