Did the way the title of this article was phrased seem vaguely familiar? I apologize if it was misleading, but hopefully, it will all make sense once I explain what Stopclickbait is and how it is working to put an end to headlines like this.
I've had a computer and a way to gain access to the internet since I could walk. That, unfortunately, means that I have been subjected to more ads and clickbait than I have been to books and newspapers. I have even, once or twice, been its victim.
Clickbait is simple to make and as easy to distribute on the internet as Milkbones in a dog kennel. Their titles are usually questions or vague headlines created specifically to be enticing to people casually scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, or any website that regularly publishes online content such as Business Insider, Time, IFL Science, etc. These websites will even post clickbait of their own, sometimes. Headlines like “Here’s a Glorious List of All the Animals Known to Fart” or “Amazon Prime’s true cost will surprise you” (two actual headlines, by the way) make it tantalizing to open them up and read their content. Writers, though, notice when articles like these get tons of attention. Consequently, they stop worrying about telling good stories and filling their articles with more quality content and ideas and instead focus on getting the most views possible from readers.
That is why I commend Stopclickbait whose embarrassingly simple premise is, I believe, capable of ridding the internet of nasty clickbait once and for all. What they do is upload clickbait to their homepage with a one-to-two sentence summary written in the header space (this is for Facebook). If the article has a video, they post the video in the comments so nobody will be tempted to click on the link. It is, in a way, a commentary on just how little information most internet content actually contains. It also conveys an important message to Facebook and Twitter browsers: always read the comments section before reading an article.
Stopclickbait now features even more categories on Facebook including Science, WTF, World News, Lifestyle, Technology, Gaming, Entertainment, and Aww, because clickbait, truly, knows no boundaries.
It is time to end the menace. If you’re still unsure about how to spot a clickbait article, visit their page and see for yourself what Stopclickbait is doing to break its hold on the internet. For your entertainment, I've also included a few examples of their work below:
