Abstract
In this highly developed technological world, newspapers and news shows have mostly been replaced by online news. The world-renowned news agencies, as well as social media platforms, report their news online, providing information to the public. However, readers are sometimes disappointed to find a misleading headline with quite different web content. This deceiving technique called clickbait uses ambiguity to provoke the user into clicking a link.
The present article explores the sociolinguistic strategies employed in Armenian and English clickbait headlines by bloggers, vloggers, and news reporters. The study aims at revealing how language is manipulated to engage and persuade users in online media. The exploration conducted from a sociolinguistic perspective unveils the intricate interplay between language, culture, and societal norms in English and Armenian clickbait headlines.
The findings contribute to the understanding of how linguistic styles, word choices, and persuasive techniques vary across different languages and cultures. It also emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between clickbait and regular headlines, as well as the potential impact of clickbait on trust and reader engagement in the digital media landscape.