Share/Bear Witness

Have you heard of the word “clickbait”? Perhaps you’ve heard the term but are unsure if you’ve encountered it. Well, if you’re on social media of any kind, I assure you have come across it. By its definition alone, clickbait is not inherently wrong. However, it’s used for bad purposes. “Good” clickbait is a pair of engaging headlines and provocative thumbnails that lead users to the expected content. “Bad” clickbait tempts users to click without delivering the promise of the headline and image. Clickbait will often use sensationalized language and all capital letters. In addition, they often promise to provide life-changing information in the article to get you to click, i.e., “This diet tip will change your life forever.” As the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

I’ve come across so much clickbait promising the perfect diet, love interest, self-help guru, or even how to win a million dollars just by clicking the link. Sometimes the headline is innocent fun that turns into nine minutes of my life I’ll never get back. Like in the case of one clickbait that promised the “PERFECT, EASY, OVEN-BAKED BREAKFAST IN MINUTES.” Nine minutes later, I learned that if you want raw uncooked eggs on top of still-cold sausage patties with cheesy burnt muffins on top, follow the insanely silly cooking directions on this clickbait. I left feeling duped. They got me! They successfully fooled me into reading along when they did not deliver on what was promised.

On the other hand, videos or articles that promote something authentic and honest get me every time. If I see a video of a kid getting hearing aids and then hearing their mother’s voice for the first time, that’s real and beautiful. I’m sharing that. Or perhaps a hope-filled headline about students making a difference in their classrooms or school districts with acts of kindness. I’m clicking on that and spending a few minutes becoming more inspired than I was before. Animals being funny, parents dancing with their kids, people slipping on water slides or snow, all of that I love! Because it’s genuine and authentically honest about what it says it will be.

I want my life testimony to be a reality, not fake clickbait. When I share on social media or in person about what God has done in my life or how/why I choose to still have faith in Jesus as my savior, I want people to walk away feeling inspired, not like they wasted nine minutes of their life they’ll never get back. I think the key to that is being honest. Instead of boasting that God will keep me from hardships and my life will be picture perfect if I vote for the right candidate, give enough money, or hang out with only people who think like me, I want to share the real moments of doubt and pain that God guides me through in gentle, unconditional love. Faith and life are complex and messy, but God’s love is the light that shines a way through all our ups and downs. That truth may not be a successful clickbait. But when you authentically share your faith life with others, it’s a compelling invitation for others to a life that won’t make them regret the last nine minutes.