Mandela Effects—glitches or just bad memory?

So I got into a massive argument at work about whether the Berenstein Bears were ever spelled that way, and it got me thinking about Mandela Effects more broadly.

On one side: mass misremembering is a well-documented psychological phenomenon. On the other side: sometimes THOUSANDS of people remember something a particular way, which seems like a lot of coincidence.

The simulation hypothesis would suggest that these are actual reality corrections (the simulation patches itself). But how would you actually distinguish that from mass false memory?

Are we doing ourselves intellectual harm by entertaining simulation theory? Or is it a useful framework for thinking about weird collective experiences?

Mandela Effects are textbook false memories. The evidence for false memory is overwhelming and boring, while simulation theory is exciting. We're just picking the exciting explanation.

But here's the thing: even if we accept that false memories explain most Mandela Effects, there's still something interesting about why those particular false memories occur. That's neuroscience, not simulation theory.

how would you actually distinguish that from mass false memory?

I think the Berenstein/Berenstain thing is actually a great example of how the internet amplifies and reinforces false memories. Everyone assumes they remember it one way, they find a community that agrees, and suddenly they're all convinced.

The simulation theory thing bothers me because it's irrefutable. If you can't prove something's wrong, it's not a theory, it's just unfalsifiable speculation. That said, thinking about reality glitches is fun even if it's not rigorous.

I had a genuine experience of seeing something change between moments - a street sign was definitely different when I came back to the same spot. But I'm also aware I could be misremembering or have missed something. The honest answer is I don't know, which isn't very satisfying.