We’ve all done it. We see an attention-grabbing headline, and before we know it, we have clicked or tapped and opened a link to something we thought we would enjoy. Instead, we find ourselves reading a mediocre article or watching a less-than-average video. This happened to me recently, and I’m more than willing to admit it. I was scrolling through YouTube, and I saw a video entitled something like “Twenty Actors We Found Out Are Dying.” The thumbnail included an actor I recognized, and I was a bit shocked. I tapped the thumbnail, and…CLICKBAIT.
While some of the people in the video have indeed tragically been diagnosed with serious illnesses, many of the individuals in the video are living with chronic conditions that are manageable. In the comments, I saw various people giving vent to their opinions about the video. Many were quick to point out the difference between a terminal illness and a chronic but manageable illness. Other people were annoyed enough to point out that every single person in the video was dying each day just like everyone else because we all eventually reach the end. I blame myself for falling for this video because I swore off Hollywood gossip years ago, but it made me start kicking around this idea.
Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary gives the following definition:
clickbait – something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest (Merriam-Webster, 2025)
Why do people use clickbait? Simply, they want the clicks. They need people to click onto their website or video so they deliberately post inaccurate headlines, titles, or thumbnails that they know will draw people in. Many times, the article or video you are taken to will be lower quality material that doesn’t actually provide the content the title suggested would be there, or you’ll be so bombarded by ads that you will give up long before you find the information you are seeking. This is innocent enough when you are just browsing for entertaining content, but it can be more disturbing.
Have you ever seen a “sensational” headline and clicked on it only to find the headline told just part of the story? Have you ever seen a news outlet cover a story using an emotional headline, but when you read more information, you found it covers only one side of the issue? These clickbait headlines aren’t just meant for you to click on them for ad revenue for the website owner. Sometimes clickbait headlines are intended to stir up an emotion in you that impacts how you view a topic. We often have short attention spans, and when we only skim the headlines instead of reading the articles, clickbait-style titles may give us a skewed impression of an issue. Check out this article by Alex Russell at the University of California-Davis about “clickbait journalism” and its potential negative effects.
It’s important for us as citizens to continue learning and to remain aware of ongoing issues in our world, and it is also important for us to be wise gatekeepers of our minds. We need to take the time to evaluate a source when we read it, and when it comes to clickbait, we need to ask ourselves if it’s worth clicking on that sensational headline. If we fall for the clickbait, we should also seek further information to clarify any issues the clickbait raises so clickbait only creates more work for us. Instead, we should develop our skills of analysis. Once we fall for clickbait, we now know what it looks like, and we can avoid similar content in the future. Don’t let the clickbait fool you. Sometimes it isn’t just an innocent attempt to get your clicks. Sometimes it is master manipulation at the sneakiest level. Let’s learn when to avoid online manipulators. We wouldn’t tolerate them in person, and we don’t have to tolerate them in our online world either.
References:
“Clickbait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clickbait. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
Russell, Alex. (2024 December 2). “If a Social Media Post Has Any of These Ten Features, It’s Probably Clickbait.” Letters & Science Magazine. https://lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu/self-society/if-social-media-post-has-any-these-ten-features-its-probably-clickbait
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And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32, NKJV)
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