Marketwatch reports that Facebook is cracking down on “click-bait” You know, those links to “news” articles that promise you something awesome to get you to click on something not awesome.
Three More Suggestions to Eliminate Click-Bait
1. Stop clicking on anything self-described as “mind-blowing.” If people don’t click on this stuff, nobody can make money off it. On the negative side, none of you would have clicked on today’s piece on this site. But on the positive side, no risk of mind-blown-related injuries.
2. Look at the source of the information. Is it a reputable news site with years of trustworthy journalism? Or is it some new start-up you’ve never heard of? Either way: it doesn’t matter. Everyone is creating sensational headlines these days to get you to click on their articles. So stop using “sources” for “information.”
3. Does the “news-headline-that’s-really-an-ad” mention something unbelievable happening to someone in your town, making you think to yourself “I find it hard to believe a 70-year-old looks 30 in my town when the town’s population is 150, and I know everyone…?” Hey, they are telling you that you will never believe something, and you have good reason to never believe it, so why are you even participating? Just don’t click on it and say to yourself, “You’re right, I will never believe that. Mission accomplished.”
