Summary
Clickbait is using an exaggerated or misleading headline to drive traffic to a website. These headlines promise new or outrageous information. They typically manipulate emotions into feeling curiosity or anger about the article's content.
What is clickbait?
Clickbait is the act of using misleading or exaggerated headlines to entice users to click on it. Clickbait can come in the form of a pop-up advertisement or an article, both of which are created to generate clicks from unsuspecting users. Some clickbait websites and advertisements are used to hide scams, to help avoid these scams, read our blog about internet safety (here). Clickbait websites are about getting the most amount of traffic possible while containing little to no content.
How clickbait can be spotted.
An article with a title like “Say Goodbye to Expensive Hearing Aids for People Over 60” is clickbait. The headline is being used to promote a scam and is targeted to users in need of a cheap alternative to hearing aids. Outrageous news about a celebrity’s life and actions are a common form of clickbait. If the news seems too unbelievable and no one else is reporting on it, the information is most likely fake. Clickbait commonly uses headlines that inspire anger or curiosity to farm engagement. Headlines like “You Will Never Believe What _____ Did!” and “10 Things You Didn’t Know About _____” are written to encourage curiosity and anger.
Dealing with clickbait.
Clickbait should not be engaged with, and should be avoided. Clickbait headlines influence a user even if the article is not clicked. An article about “other uses of a product” can make a user wonder if they’re missing out on information. The best approach is to ignore the articles and advertisements and remember its clickbait. Don’t share information that could potentially be fake as that only spreads the problems to others. These sites make money off of clicks and limited engagement. Clickbait is trying to manipulate a user’s thoughts and emotions to make money.
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