Starve Fake Posts: How Ignoring AI-Generated Clickbait Kills It

Quick takeaway: Fake news, AI-driven click-bait and spammy reels only live if we feed them with clicks and comments. Scroll on and you choke their reach.

Why dodgy content spreads so fast

• Algorithms crave engagement – every like, reply or share is a green light to push the post higher.
• AI makes it dirt-cheap – a single prompt can spit out thousands of “shocking” headlines or deep-faked snaps.
• We hand it free fuel – even typing “this is rubbish” tells the system people are interested.

What NOT to do

• Don’t comment “fake!” – you’ve just boosted the post.
• Don’t quote-tweet to dunk on it – now your followers see it too.
• Don’t screenshot and share – congratulations, you’ve created a fresh artefact the algorithm can index.

Every tap, swipe and DM counts as engagement. Less fuel, less fire.

The magic move: ignore and move on

1. Pause – breathe before you react.
2. Scroll – let it drop off the radar.
3. Optional: hit mute, block or report if it’s spam or harmful.

Low-engagement posts get buried ridiculously fast.

Five habits for a cleaner feed

1. Follow reliable sources – quality in, rubbish out.
2. Add fact-check extensions (NewsGuard, B.S. Detector) so suspect links are flagged before you click.
3. Disable auto-recommendations where possible; stick to accounts you actually chose.
4. Set screen-time limits – less doom-scrolling, fewer knee-jerk reactions.
5. Share good stuff instead – every trustworthy article nudges the algorithm towards accuracy.

Fact-checking without boosting the bunk

Feel free to verify a claim—but do it away from the original post. Google it, check Snopes or FullFact, then share the truth without linking back to the spam source. You help mates stay informed without juicing the fake post’s stats.

Final word

Clicks and comments are currency online. Starve bad actors of that currency and their grift collapses. Next time an AI-generated “OMG look at this!” pops up, give it the cold shoulder and keep scrolling.

(Stay tuned—more no-nonsense guides to digital sanity on the way.)