The hue and cry against intolerance, lies, bigotry, and hatred continues to echo across the globe, especially here in the US of A. No one wants to promote it. Everyone wants to stop it! We all yearn for a society that respects decency, truth-telling, honesty, and love of neighbor.
Therefore, how would you feel if you had a tool that could start chiseling away at the walls of deceit and hatred, dismantling them brick by brick? What would you do if you found something you could do that would be a meaningful protest against those who foster division and disunion for their own political and financial gain? Would you do it?
Here is your chance to take control. It is very simple. Don’t take the clickbait!
If you want to get back to decency and honest conversations in your community, remember, we're all in this together. Don't take the clickbait!
If you want to reduce the volume of those who spread hatred against those who are different from the cis male, white evangelical of European descent, then don't take the clickbait!
If you want to recover a little peace for your heart and mind so that you can find your footing in this 'slippery' world, then don't take the clickbait and breathe a sigh of relief!
What is Clickbait?
Clickbait can take many forms. It could be a sensationalized headline promising 'Shocking Revelation About [Celebrity Name]' or a misleading image that doesn't accurately represent the content. The primary goal of clickbait is to generate as many clicks as possible, which can lead to increased advertising revenue for the website hosting the content.
Clickbait gets its impact from the power of the headline. 40 years ago, newspapers would carefully word the headline that appeared "above the fold" to encourage someone to spend their quarter and buy the paper. These headlines have now morphed into "Subject:" lines on emails, hashtags on text messages, captions on videos and images, and ALL CAP opening lines on social media posts. An honest headline gives the reader an honest taste of the article's contents. Unfortunately, this conditioned many people to scan the headline as a summary and bypass the article itself. Thus, a dishonest journalist could write a deceptive headline and bury the true details in the story. After all, the reader had already bought the newspaper, so the editor didn't care if the reader was informed.
Today, as print media disappears, dishonest journalists and others use the same principle to get you to click on their website or buy their product without bothering about accuracy or honesty. Clickbait uses deception and does not care that the content is different than the teaser. Once you click it, they have been rewarded. This self-interest overrides their interest in informing the public.
The consequences of falling for clickbait can range from wasting your time on irrelevant content to being exposed to misinformation or scams.
Those who rely on clickbait on unwary readers should not be trusted for accurate information. There is nothing inherently wrong with making a profit from your job or career. However, doubts arise about the writer's or seller's integrity when the profit motive outweighs their passion for providing a safe and helpful product. The product or information may be fine, but the doubt raised by their dubious marketing suggests that we should look elsewhere. Using clickbait to attract attention does not taint the information or product. But it taints the reputation of the user and serves as a warning about the value of their services. If you find clickbait, move on. Your trust has been violated.
Where do I find Clickbait?
Clickbait has become standard fare in many digital communication systems. Social media sites like FB, Bluesky, YouTube, X, Instagram, and TicToc will have many posts encouraging you to click on a misleading link. They may be elaborate memes posted by troll farms or a shared post from a friend. They may be tucked into posts that are shared in groups. This is especially true of poorly moderated groups. (I practice signing off groups that allow repeated clickbait-infested spam on the feed.) There is no way to avoid online clickbait.
Clickbait has also become increasingly prevalent in email, text messages, and voicemail. Think of it as spam on steroids. It is not simple passive messaging. The message will be urgent, demanding that you “Act Now!” It will have an emotionally charged message that seeks to bypass reason. Do not trust a website or email address because it looks authentic. A simple change in font type can make “goodyear.com” look like “goodyear.com.“ (Note the first “o”.) Also, text messages can be sent from familiar Area Codes and from spoofed numbers. Do not trust a link just because it looks authentic or familiar.
A third type of clickbait is found on billboards, websites, restaurant menus, and signs. QR Codes (Quick Response Codes) allow your phone to click on a site with your camera. These QR Codes are links, and unless you trust the source, do not use them.
To be fair, not all links are clickbait. However, some sites are more likely to rely on clickbait. Here is my list of links that require extra caution.
Political Candidates
Political Parties
Political Action Committees
Unfamiliar Non-Profit Fundraising
Online Vendors
YouTube Weather Sites
News Organizations other than those with journalistic integrity. (IMHO, AP and Reuters)
Emailed Final Notices from Financial Institutions and the IRS
Do Not Give these sites the benefit of the doubt. Rigorously apply the following Clickbait Test before you respond to any link.
The Clickbait Test
1. Does it appeal primarily to emotion? Clickbait is all about emotion, not reason. The stronger your emotional reaction, the more likely it will be a deceptive post.
2. Does it speak to your prejudices or privilege? Clickbait is designed to tap into our predispositions through words and images that speak to our known and unknown prejudices or biases. It will also rely on our unacknowledged sense of privilege, i.e., showing a white man losing his job to a non-white woman. The more outraged it makes you, especially if you cannot identify the source of your outrage, the more likely that it is clickbait.
3. Does it communicate a sense of urgency? Clickbait wants you to act without thinking. It will generally stress that you must check this out immediately. The more urgent a lead-in feels, the more likely it is clickbait.
4. Does it have grand or unrealistic consequences? – Does the post or ad make wild claims? The bigger the promises or the more exaggerated the consequences, the more likely it is clickbait.
5. Does it contain false or suspicious information? For example, beware of a message from a business with whom you have never done business. It will generally ask you to contact to reclaim an overpayment or demand an immediate payment for a charge you never made.
6. Does it carry sexual innuendo? Much clickbait will use sexuality to lure the vulnerable. This may be suggestive language or images. If you get a sexual vibe from the post, it is likely clickbait.
7. Does it feel creepy or make you feel uncomfortable? Gauge the creepiness of the post. Does seeing or reading it make you feel uncomfortable? Trust your instincts, especially when you can't identify the source of the creepiness. It relies on discomfort to motivate you to click on the link. This is often used in fake “Unsubscribe” messages. The stronger the urge to click, the more you need to resist! It is likely clickbait.
If a link and its accompanying message meet one or more of these criteria, delete it. Don't take the clickbait! Do not share the clickbait!
If you want to help move our society back to respecting decency, seeking honest communication, rejecting hatred, and opening up channels of communication with those who disagree with us, then “Don’t Take the Clickbait!”
