The impact of clickbait headlines in modern media on audiences

Abstract

This research article examines the characteristics, audience impact, and informational value of clickbait topics on social media in Kazakhstan. The main goal is to comprehensively study methods for creating clickbait headlines, their impact on audiences, their influence on the culture of information perception, and aspects requiring media literacy. The study used content analysis, comparative analysis, a review of existing literature, and analysis and evaluation of materials published on social media based on specific examples. An analysis was conducted using specific examples of clickbait topics on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Telegram, as well as on websites and content in the Kazakh language. Clickbait headlines have been proven to not only attract audience attention but also influence the number of reviews and views. Clickbait headlines are designed to mislead the audience about the true content of the text or video, creating a certain psychological state that makes the target audience deliberately switch their attention to viewing the material. This phenomenon is called "clickbait," or a clickbait headline that tricks readers into clicking on a link by intentionally misleading them with sensational or incomplete information. This article can serve as a theoretical and practical basis for Kazakhstani researchers to study clickbait schemes in the media space.