Not Falling for It · Mission 2 of 7
Clickbait: headlines that want to hook you
Why headlines shout, promise secrets and “shock” – and how to tell whether an article or video delivers what the headline promised.
about 7 minutesStart with the → key or the space bar.
💬The evening before bed
Daniel (13) is scrolling through his phone in the evening. A headline stops him:
“THE END OF NEBULARK?! 😱 Players are furious, nobody saw this coming!”
Daniel plays Nebulark every day. He clicks straight away. The article is long and full of ads. The important bit is only in the last paragraph: the game is changing its logo. Nothing is ending.
Daniel is annoyed. But he had already sent the headline to the class group chat – and three classmates forwarded it without opening the article.
The headline did its job. It didn't want to inform Daniel. It wanted him to click.
What is clickbait
Clickbait means bait for clicks. It's a headline, picture or video thumbnail made mainly to grab your attention and get you to click. It often promises more than it delivers.
Why do people do it? Many websites and apps earn money from ads depending on how many times people see them. More clicks mean more ads seen – even if you close the article straight away.
Warning signs
- CAPITAL LETTERS, exclamation marks and emoji 😱🔥 – meant to stir up feelings, not to inform.
- A secret instead of information: “this”, “you won't believe”, “number 4 will blow your mind”. The headline deliberately leaves out the main point.
- Strong words: “furious”, “shock”, “the end”, “scandal”.
- Nobody knows who: “doctors warn”, “scientists are keeping quiet” – but which ones?
- A push to share: “Send this to everyone before they delete it!”
Game: What is this headline trying on you? · Message 1 of 3
Read the headline or video thumbnail. Tap the parts that are only there to lure you in. One headline is fine, though.
A headline someone sent to your class group chat
SHOCK! 😱 You carry this thing in your bag almost every day and scientists warn it's dangerous. Send this to everyone before they delete it!
Marked: 0 · After the discussion, click the places the class agrees on. Then show the analysis.
Game: What is this headline trying on you? · Message 2 of 3
Read the headline or video thumbnail. Tap the parts that are only there to lure you in. One headline is fine, though.
Video thumbnail
Popular YouTuber BURST INTO TEARS on a livestream 😭 Everyone's talking about it! The end of the channel? Watch till the end…
Marked: 0 · After the discussion, click the places the class agrees on. Then show the analysis.
Game: What is this headline trying on you? · Message 3 of 3
Read the headline or video thumbnail. Tap the parts that are only there to lure you in. One headline is fine, though.
News on the town newsletter's website
The town swimming pool will be closed from 3 to 16 November. The filters are being replaced, the pool's management announced. School swimming lessons are moving to December.
Marked: 0 · After the discussion, click the places the class agrees on. Then show the analysis.
Before you send it on
Researchers at Penn State University in the US looked at more than 35 million public posts with links on one big social network from 2017 to 2020. They found that about three out of four shares happened without the person sharing even opening the link. So people often pass on nothing but the headline.
Three steps before you send something on:
- Open it and read more than the headline. Did the article deliver what it promised?
- Check who wrote it and when. A well-known news outlet, or a site you don't know?
- Find it somewhere else too. If it's important news, other newsrooms will be reporting it as well.
Find out more about the “Shock and wow” trick in the Manipulation atlas.
Game: Clickbait or information? · 1 of 6
Sort the headlines. Is the headline just trying to lure you in, or does it tell you straight away what happened?
You won't believe who won the school tournament! Number 3 will blow your mind 😱
Click the answer the class decides on. Then show the right one.
Game: Clickbait or information? · 2 of 6
Sort the headlines. Is the headline just trying to lure you in, or does it tell you straight away what happened?
Class 8B wins the school football tournament, beating 9A 4–2 in the final
Click the answer the class decides on. Then show the right one.
Game: Clickbait or information? · 3 of 6
Sort the headlines. Is the headline just trying to lure you in, or does it tell you straight away what happened?
You'll never look at this school lunch the same way again… 🤢
Click the answer the class decides on. Then show the right one.
Game: Clickbait or information? · 4 of 6
Sort the headlines. Is the headline just trying to lure you in, or does it tell you straight away what happened?
From Monday, the school canteen is adding fruit to every lunch
Click the answer the class decides on. Then show the right one.
Game: Clickbait or information? · 5 of 6
Sort the headlines. Is the headline just trying to lure you in, or does it tell you straight away what happened?
SCIENTISTS IN SHOCK: Every dog can do this, but nobody knows!
Click the answer the class decides on. Then show the right one.
Game: Clickbait or information? · 6 of 6
Sort the headlines. Is the headline just trying to lure you in, or does it tell you straight away what happened?
Forecasters: rain at the weekend, up to 15 millimetres on Sunday
Click the answer the class decides on. Then show the right one.
What to remember
- ◆Clickbait doesn't want to inform you – it wants clicks.
- ◆Capital letters, “shock” and secrets in a headline = slow down.
- ◆Read more than the headline. Only then share.
- ◆You'll find important news from other newsrooms too.
💬Let's talk
- 1Shall we find three headlines on your phone together? Which ones want to inform you and which only want to lure you in?
- 2Which headline lured you in most recently? Did the article or video deliver what it promised?
- 3What will you do before you send something to the class group chat?
Tip for the teacher
Admit to your child that adults fall for headlines sometimes too – and show them how you check a story afterwards. A shared rule for family and class group chats helps too: read first, then share.
✓ Mission complete!
At home, children can play it again – with their parents, for example. Free and without an account.
thinkcritical.eu/