Clickbait headlines

I have heard that some news sites run the same story with different headlines to find which have the most readers click through to the story then favor those. Even on websites that feel to me fairly reputable otherwise, it seems to me that I notice the effects of this: headlines become more misleading than informative. It is like the American local television news technique, keep watching, after these messages we'll tell you about this thing you probably have in your home that will kill all your children. This may lead to more people clicking on the story but, in time, it teaches me to avoid that news source because it tends to be more disappointing than it is an efficient means of keeping me up to date with what matters.

Social media, vaccine deniers, surreality

( People often seem to believe things without being able to say why. )

( Many have bizarre beliefs about the present pandemic … )

( … which make no sense. )

( I wish that people were immune to such obvious falsehoods. )