From YouTube to Buzzfeed, the concept of “clickbait” has overwhelmed all sorts of media and news outlets. Clickbait is defined as “content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page.” Think of the countless YouTube videos that you’ve seen that are titled “Pregnancy Scare?!” or the articles you’ve scrolled through titled “13 Facts You Won’t Believe!” All of these exhibit clickbait, which has become ubiquitous on the internet.

The main reason why social media, and even the most legit news stations, use clickbait is to increase their viewer counts. As stated in the blog article “Why Clickbait Works (And Why You Should Do More of It)” by Blog.Kissmetrics.com, outrageous titles that focus on extremes is what grabs the attention of the viewer the most. Think about the last videos or articles that you’ve clicked on – were they clickbait? Most likely.

However, as the presence of clickbait quickly grows, how long will its effects really last? The most prevalent concern is the future quality of journalism. Adweek.com’s “Why Your Brand Should Stop Trying To Emulate Buzzfeed’s Clickbait” explains this by stating, “If you want to focus on creating clickbait and nothing else, you’ll struggle to make an impact unless you have significant resources at your disposal.” Eventually, clickbait will most likely lose its touch and thus leave the media to lose meaning.

The overarching purpose of social media and news is to be informed. Yet, from the viewers’ point of view, trust in modern media is fading just as fast as clickbait grows. How are the masses supposed to believe the stories of YouTube “Storytimes” and news articles when they are over-exaggerated just to grab attention? The media is starting to lure viewers in without any intentions of fulfilling the promise of providing quality information. “YouTube Fans Are DONE With Clickbait,” by WeTheUnicorns.com highlights how irritated viewers are at being essentially lied to by creators on the Internet. And once the viewers stop trusting, they will stop viewing, leaving the media to wither in an empty shell of what it used to be.

For now, clickbait may be gaining traction while it is still a fresh and new technique, yet soon enough, it will fail. It is up to the social media and news outlets to decide what is more important to them right now – clickbait or trust.