It’s a familiar predicament on the Internet – you stumble upon a headline that feels too shocking, outrageous, or good to be true. You know it’s a trap, but you click anyway. Time and time again, clickbait continues to work. But why?

THE DEFINITION

Merriam-Webster defines clickbait as “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.” Essentially, these short teasers are designed to harness the cognitive biases that drive us to click on the accompanying link. Its inherently exploitative definition carries many negative connotations, and “clickbait” is often used to describe content users find unappealing regardless of its credibility.

THE PSYCHOLOGY

Although clickbait can be easily recognizable, stopping oneself from engaging with it can be difficult. This fact of life relates to the theory that George Loewenstein coined the “information gap,” which states that emotional consequences follow whenever humans detect a gap between what they know and want to know. “Such information gaps produce the feeling of deprivation labeled curiosity,” he wrote. “The curious individual is motivated to obtain the missing information to reduce or eliminate the feeling of deprivation.” Therefore, the possibility of uncovering more information is often worth the risk of negative quality.

Additionally, as news organizations have increasingly established social media presence, they may use advertising to compel clicks. When quality news outlets employ tactics characteristic of tabloid media, including personalization and sensationalism, it is called tabloidization. Though not technically leading to false information, these reputable outlets’ manipulation of user engagement teases in the same way more outwardly obvious clickbait does.

THE TACTICS

Clickbait harnesses the human drive for information by employing several strategies that increase the likelihood of that sought-after click. Numbered lists (“Tops five ways…” or “The ten most crazy…”) ease the reading experience by ensuring that the information will be predictable and quantified. Likewise, clickbait promises an emotional payout. Regarding misleading articles, humans are willing to tolerate frequent disappointment as long as there is the occasional reward. Additionally, reducing the reward frequency is an incentive by introducing a “perhaps” into the equation– a tactic psychologists call intermittent reinforcement.

THE TAKEAWAY

In short, clickbait is more than that feeling of distrust accompanying a sketchy headline or photo. By definition, it is digital, psychological manipulation- for better or worse. Those navigating the digital landscape can learn the signs but must decide how they will respond to them.