The Shocking Truth Behind Clickbait: Why Writers Sacrifice Humanity for Clicks

I was scrolling my inbox today, hunting for something worth reading, when a headline made me pause: a writer claiming they’d earned $250 from a short story. My heart lifted. Maybe real stories still had a place online.

Then I read it.

The “short story” wasn’t fiction at all. It was a reflective essay about a dinner with a billionaire, sprinkled with personal life lessons. I kept waiting for a twist, a character, a “gotcha!” moment. Nothing. It was definitely nonfiction — well-written, yes — but firmly in the personal essay camp.

Everyone loved it for what it was: a thoughtful reflection on how success isn’t worth it if it costs your values, relationships, or humanity. But I still felt… tricked.

Short story, memoir, creative nonfiction — what’s the difference?

I’m sure the author just meant “short article” or “personal story.” I don’t think she set out to mislead anyone. But the headline frustrated me on two levels.

First, I remembered when the so-called “short story” originally came out. I skipped it, assuming it was just another “learn to make money online” clickbait piece. I’ve been trying to escape that algorithmic black hole by avoiding anything to do with internet earnings.

So when I finally did click — hoping for fiction — and got nonfiction instead? I was annoyed at myself for falling for it all over again. I already know the secret to writing success: you keep writing until you find topics that resonate with you and with readers. That’s it.

The second reason I was upset was deeper — in this author’s viral story, she rejects the ruthless millionaire’s inhuman advice. And then — when her story with this lovely insight about humanity over riches takes off?

She writes an article about how much money it made.

That moment crystallized something I’ve been feeling for months: even our best, most human writing is…