Do you know what clickbait is?

Clickbait is content that's main purpose is to attract the attention of the viewer in order to get them to click a link. Once the link is clicked the content on the other side is generally fake or isn’t what it claimed to be. Clickbait can be used for various reasons  such as getting you to read an article with fake information or to scam you in some way. You need to be cautious about clickbait and wary of what you see and read online. And as most people don't believe everything you see online. Here are some stories about clickbait in the news recently!

 Fake Taylor Swift Article

Recently an article was released showing the top ten celebrities that flew the most on private jets so far this year. All article readers took what was written at face value without questioning where it came from or the source of the information. Taylor Swift was placed at number one with the most minutes flown this year  at 22,923. Some viewers started to question if that amount of flying was possible in seven months, which it seems not to be. Taylor Swift's team then made a statement saying the information was incorrect. This is one of those things that you should be wary about believing. We don't know which side of the story is correct, or if any of them are. Don’t believe everything you read! Check out more about the story here.

How do clickbait captions entice users?

Research done by Study Finds looked into how and why facebook clickbait posts entice users into reading the post and interacting with them. They found that when captions  and headlines had unusual punctuation there were 2.5 more shares, reactions and comments then with normal punctuation. Longer words in headlines lead to a decrease in interactions, but in the body content it leads to more engagement. When common clickbait titles are used such as “you won’t believe this” or “this will blow your mind”, there is less interest in the article and people are less likely to engage. These are some things that you can look out for to avoid falling victim to clickbait.

Clickbait on trustworthy websites

You may wonder why clickbait ads appear on what you believe to be trustworthy websites, well Scroll.in has written an article on why this is possible and happens. Advertising is done through a system where people bid money for ad space. So anyone that bids the highest is able to have their ads on any website they want because they paid the money. Since the ad space is so large it is difficult to keep track of which companies are bidding for space and if they are legitimate or not. So even if you are on a website that you trust there may be ads that lead you to sketchy websites that only intend to scam you. Read more about it here.

Clickbait can be a scary thing but being aware of it and what it looks like can protect you from falling victim. Always be cautious when browsing. Follow Kids Shield on our social platforms to get more cyber security content and resources. Sign up for our email list to never miss a blog drop. Be educated, be connected, and be safe!