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> Clickbait headlines are like watching evolution in action. Actually, there's a theory for viruses of the mind: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viruses_of_the_M
by kordless 11y ago
> Clickbait headlines are like watching evolution in action.
Actually, there's a theory for viruses of the mind: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viruses_of_the_Mind https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viruses_of_the_Mind. Headlines and other memes can spread if they appeal to certain emotional responses and "fitter" memes spread faster.
One way to mitigate this is to disallow words like 'floored' when used in the context of emotions, but that's going to require some serious AI to help with it.
- manachar 11y agoIt's a tough dilemma for any ad-supported news organization. You get paid by getting eyeballs on a story. With most people getting their news via social networks and aggregators you need a headline that is shareable and yet still gets people to click through for the remaining article. If the headline is too informative you get fewer eyeballs and less revenue. So, if you're the editor of Washington Post, what do you choose? The headline that appeals to emotion and encourages clicks, or an accurate headline that is less appealing and less vague? Especially knowing that there's a fleet of rebloggers out there who will take your story, turn it into 10 pages of slides and "credit" you but have the more clickbait headline?