Just as population declines may lead to biological extinction, the decline of collective attention and memory may lead to the societal extinction of species. Direct and vicarious experiences with species affect their societal salience and likelihood of societal extinction. Societal extinctions affect perceptions of the environment, lead to a shifting baseline syndrome, hinder establishment of more ambitious conservation/restoration targets, and diminish support for conservation efforts. Several mitigation actions, relying predominantly on conservation education and marketing, are needed to reduce or reverse the societal extinction of species.