Critical Thinking in the Age of Clickbait: How to Evaluate What You See Online

Anyone under 40 likely has a mum, grandpa, or aunt who regularly sends them blatantly false scam posts and headlines for review. 

While emails from Nigerian royalty and photoshopped Elvis sightings hardly fool us anymore, even digital native generations are occasionally taken for a ride on the clickbait coaster. 

‘You Won’t Believe What This Celebrity Did!’ prompts something deeply nosey in us. And ‘The #1 Trick Doctors Don’t Want You to Know!’ – while suspiciously familiar, still triggers FOMO for many. (What are those sneaky doctors hiding from us this time?) 

It’s clickbait, and it’s everywhere. While we’ve collectively improved our scam detection skills, subtler forms of online misinformation – especially those that play on vulnerabilities – can be harder to spot. 

In a world where everything is commoditised, AI-generated, and SEO-driven, you must learn to read between the headlines and captions. So, let’s tune up our digital radar with a smart guide to spotting nonsense, one headline at a time. You might even want to pass it on to elderly relatives. 

What’s Click-Worthy Information Anyway? 

It’s easy to fall into autopilot online. Once, trusted TV news channels curated reliable content worth tuning in for. Now, we turn to Google, YouTube, or social apps – landing in an algorithm-fed mess of amateur opinions, satire, viral memes, and unsourced ‘news.’ 

Sometimes research-backed pieces appear in the mix, sometimes not. And the loudest headlines pushed to the top aren’t always accurate. 

Scrolling casually without an agenda leaves us passively consuming whatever advertisers and creators want: outrage, tragedy, baseless drama, and conspiracy theories, all designed to grab attention. It’s no longer what we want, but what drives engagement. 

Credible platforms stand out. They have clear bylines, editorial standards, policies, and – crucially – an objective tone. No screaming headlines, relentless pop-ups, or emoji overload. 

If a site looks and sounds like a desperate salesman, it probably is. And your attention deserves better. 

Check the Domain Before You Enter 

One simple but overlooked hack for saving time is checking the domain authority of a site. Tools like Moz’s Link Explorer or Ahrefs reveal domain trustworthiness based on other reliable websites linked to it. As the saying goes, ‘you are the company you keep.’ 

A domain like bbc.co.uk carries more weight than something like health-newz247.info (which might have popped up yesterday and will disappear tomorrow). 

When giving URLs a glance, watch for lookalikes – fraudsters mimic real domains by swapping a lowercase L for an uppercase I or adding extra hyphens to trick your eye. 

Affiliate Bias: The Hidden Influence Behind Stories and Reviews 

Affiliate links are prolific online. That’s not always negative. Creators use them to monetise content, and sometimes we want those pointers to products and services. But not all affiliate-backed content is upfront and honest. 

Ask yourself: is this article really informing me or leading me on a merry path toward one buying decision? Is the review balanced, or is it gunning too hard for one conclusion? If there’s no mention of alternatives or drawbacks and a ton of ‘Buy Now’ buttons, you’re likely reading marketing disguised as insights. 

Recognise SEO Right Away 

Good content should answer your questions – not just repeat them. Yet, thanks to search engine optimisation (and AI optimisation), social posts and articles are often crammed with keywords known to boost visibility. Certain phrases and words help content get seen. When it’s subtle, no value is lost. 

But overdone SEO can be a sign that you’ve stumbled onto something disappointing, annoying, or misleading. 

Signs of SEO-heavy content include: 

• Repetitive phrasing with no useful detail 

• Paragraphs that ramble around a point 

• Lists of repetitive items with no context 

Genuinely helpful articles provide pros and cons, engaging and specific details, or reasons why a viewpoint or product is recommended. The storytelling feels real. You learn something. 

Try to spot content full of SEO but no substance within the first few lines. 

Help From Reputable Digital Decision-Making Directories 

Most people read restaurant reviews before booking a table. They read up on contractors before hiring and compare cars before buying. When choosing where to play, shop, learn, or invest, curated directories can be your best friend. These platforms analyse options and vet companies. 

Take online gaming, for instance. When looking for trustworthy slot sites to play online, avoid dropping ‘best gaming sites’ into Google and clicking whatever comes up first, especially if they are sponsored ads promoted and pushed to the top by casino operators. Instead, head to a curated comparison site that reviews casinos based on licensing, security, user experience, and customer service. The best of these let you compare bonuses, withdrawal speed, support, and terms and conditions – allowing you to see multiple options side by side without favouring one. 

From laptops to lawn service – and casinos to dog groomers – selecting a good comparison site beats clicking numerous biased pages that promote a single choice. 

Spot the Red Flags: Common Signs of Clickbait 

Let’s call out a few shady examples of content that manipulates or wastes time: 

• No author and stock photos on articles – Cheesy, generic images paired with anonymous articles often indicate garbage content pumped out by marketers to look like legitimate journalism. 

• All CAPS, exclamation points, and urgency tactics – We see this in social media posts hawking ‘secret, reveal-all’ sites or ‘limited-time’ offers that stoke fears of missing out. There is almost never anything so secret or urgent that you need to click immediately. (Tell your mum.) 

• Too many ads – A page that’s 80% advertising doesn’t value your time – it just wants you to click (intentionally or accidentally) on one of its many ads. That’s the only reason to lure you there. 

What Are Some Valuable Content Green Flags? 

• Transparent ownership – You can easily see who runs the site and what its purpose is. 

• Balanced perspective – Whether they cover news, products, or services, good sites provide a full picture – perspectives, pros, and cons. 

• Real references – Do most scientists recommend it? Prove it. Sources should be linked through real studies, experts, or industry bodies. 

What Can You Do to Avoid Scams and Wasted Time? 

When you’re searching or scrolling next time, keep this checklist in mind: 

• Check the site’s domain and trustworthiness 

• Watch out for affiliate-heavy bias 

• Assess whether content offers value (early on) or just keywords 

• Use curated directories to compare and make buying decisions 

• Be alert to red flags like urgency tactics, fake authors, and ad overload 

The internet can be brilliant. You can find anything and everything. You can also, increasingly, get swamped with junk. A bit of healthy scepticism goes a long way in weeding out misleading or poor-quality content. Click wisely, read critically, and remember – if it smells like marketing and walks like a click-trap, don’t take the bait.