The Psychology Behind Clickbait: Why We Can’t Resist Those Headlines

Written by Farrah Jones

Media Analytics Executive

Photo courtesy of Semrush Blog.

We’ve all done it before—spent five minutes reading an article with an intriguing headline, just to be disappointed when it didn’t give the answer you hoped for. Yet, somehow, we keep falling for the same catchy titles, reading with a glimmer of hope for a groundbreaking revelation. What makes these headlines so irresistible? There are psychological reasons behind our attraction to these eye-catching headlines, from curiosity to the fear of missing out––making it nearly impossible to resist the urge to click. 

Curiosity is one of the fundamental elements of human behavior. Scientists believe it is intrinsically motivated. Curiosity comes into play when our brains find a gap in knowledge, producing an intense desire and hunger for information. This psychological trigger is called a “curiosity gap,” which makes readers want or need more information. When a headline presents an enticing piece of information but leaves out key details, our brains feel the urge to resolve that uncertainty. 

Clickbait often elicits emotions of mystery, intrigue, anger and envy. It can also evoke feelings of FOMO, or fear of missing out, allowing the reader to further engage in concern that they are missing out on something important. In our society, where social media plays a large role in content creation, advertising and public relations, utilizing clickbait as a tactic to drive social media engagement has become more prominent. Companies and businesses must find a way to stick out against the crowd, and these exciting and distracting headlines have been the most successful in the past.

Part of the reason clickbait works so well is that the promise of compelling information activates a dopamine pathway in our brain. Dopamine is a hormone that has many functions, one of them being pleasure. Research has suggested that dopamine incentivizes behavior through desire, creating an urge to find an answer to unresolved questions. Every time we click on an appealing headline, our brain releases a small dose of dopamine, creating a cycle of clicking the link and consuming the media. 

There have been a lot of arguments surrounding the topic of clickbait and whether or not it is ethical to use in marketing. Depending on how it is used, it can be a successful way to grab user attention and engagement (if the headlines accurately reflect the content). On the other hand, if the advertisement involves misleading or exaggerated headlines, it can damage a brand's credibility and erode trust with its audience. Readers are less likely to continue engaging with a brand or return for future content when deceived. It is important to acknowledge that deceptive clickbait will drive customers away; however, if used transparently to drive curiosity, it can be used as an ethical marketing tactic to enhance audience engagement. 

Clickbait isn’t going anywhere, but there are a few ways to catch yourself before you waste another five minutes. Before you click…pause. Ask yourself: does the headline seem manipulative, or does it seem like it genuinely offers value? Make sure that you are clicking on websites that are credible and provide reliable content, and recognize that your emotions might be coming into play. Next time you see a headline that seems too good to be true, take a moment and reflect. Do you need to read, or is your brain just searching for a hit of dopamine?