WATCH: What’s wrong with clickbait headlines?

MANILA, Philippines – Not all the headlines you see online are accurate – some are misleading on purpose to get you to click on them.

Clickbait has been around for years and is used by websites to lead readers to their pages so they can gain revenue through ads. In some instances, attention-grabbing headlines do not reflect what’s actually written in the articles they link to or are outright false.

Most of these headlines and articles are harmless – ever heard of a guy who died because he played video games too much? Or that marriage between humans and animals is now legal in Norway?

But sometimes, clickbait can be harmful too, especially when it comes to matters of public interest – health, safety, transportation, and the like – or the lives of private citizens.

Before you like, share, or comment on a surprising headline on social media, take a moment to check if it was reported on too by other reliable news sources.

If you find that the information shared was false, let your friend or family member know. It could save them from a lot of confusion and misunderstanding.

And if you notice a particular misleading claim going viral unchecked, send a link and a screenshot to factcheck@rappler.com! – Rappler.com