Don´t Click This Headline!
Why do we do things, even when we know it is not right, and why do we click on headlines from which we already know (or should be able to know) that they are click-bait?
The Forbidden Fruit
Things that are forbidden are attractive to us. One of the oldest and well-known stories about this phenomenon is the story of Adam and Eve. By prohibiting the eating of the apple, it instantaneously became very tempting to do exactly that. And the effect we are discussing is even called the ´Forbidden Fruit Effect.` It is a profound psychological thing and has a long history. Our curiosity brings us many things; it makes us explore the world, experiment, discover and learn things. When something is prohibited, it will intensify our curiosity, and to do it or discover it becomes even more attractive and irresistible. Our ego or personality also plays a role. We want to have our own space, our own freedom, and be able to make our own decisions. We want freedom, and we want to differentiate ourselves from others so that we feel different and unique.
Forbidden things have a secret charm.
Tacitus
Now, click-bait is not forbidden, but often it is easy to recognize, we know we shouldn´t click it, but still, we do.
How Does Click-bait Influence You
We are all a little bit vain and think that we are above average; this is why titles like “Only one percent of people understand this“ is such an effective click-bait. We want to please our ego and show how smart we are. We click, and then it becomes evident that the question or problem posed is not that difficult, and we are not so smart as we thought because we fell for this click-bait.
Another successful trick is the use of numbers and promising the answers to unanswered questions. Three easy ways to make $ 1000 a day, these five food ingredients will make you lose weight, ten things to do to have a meaningful relation, etc. etc. That these are tricks (or lies) is very obvious; if making $ 1000 a day was easy, everyone would do it. It usually are simplified answers to questions we all have to deal with. And one of the common aspects of these questions is… there are no easy answers, there are no short cuts, there are no easy ways out, but still, we keep clicking the bait, even while we know it can´t be true. This strategy can also be put in a negative way, which makes it even harder to resist. The three things which keep you losing money, this ingredient will give you cancer, the one sign your partner is cheating on you. These are very poisonous, they play on our general fears, and they try to scare you and promise you something which is usually absurd or just a considerable oversimplification of a problem.
How to Prevent Yourself from Falling for Click-bait
Research is already being performed to recognize click-bait. It usually involves AI, machine learning, NLP, and pattern recognition. All very interesting, and it has led to apps that can detect click-bait for us. But we also want to use our own brainpower and not have to rely on algorithms. What are hints in the title which can warn us about click-bait? Usually, click-bait uses short titles; legitimate posts usually have longer titles. A cardinal number in the title is also a giveaway; 15 things you need to know; three reasons to… etc. The title promises you information; this is what people really think; before buying a new car, you should know this. Strong nouns and adjectives in the title which are exaggerated and trigger your curiosity. Another giveaway is if the title ends with a question mark or exclamation mark.
With these insights, I hope you are more able to recognize click-bait and resist it. After all, you are in the group of top 10% of smart people who don´t fall for click-bait…
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