I knew it was bogus, when I saw the picture and caption. I mean, if Sam Elliott had actually passed away, I would have seen it on social media or a news website. He's not the biggest star out there, but it would have been a big story. I doubt there are many who don't like the actor. I know I do.
Of course, if Sam had passed away, I might have missed it so I felt I had to click on the picture.
Classic clickbait.
I can't remember where the link took me, but instantly I knew the actor, Mr. Elliott, had not died, at least not today. And since the link didn't send me to a story about the actor's demise, I turned my attention to the IMBd website. They are very good at updating information about celebrities and those in the movie making business.
Turns out, Sam is alive and well and living in Malibu.
I knew I was being conned, so why did I do it? Why did I click on the picture? I'll bet they picked this particular actor because if it had been a picture of Tom Hanks or Leonardo DiCaprio, Scarlett Johansson or Robert Downey, Jr., most people wouldn't click--they wouldn't take the bait. They'd know it was a scam, an attempt to get clicks.
Then again, I knew that too, and I clicked.
Our lives are so intertwined with technology. Tomorrow I'll get up and log on to my work computer. I'll spend the next ten hours sitting in front of two screens. On breaks I'll check social media from time to time, and even answer a couple of I/Ms. Because we're so tied to screens, computers, and the internet, people trying to manipulate us, know our weaknesses, our curiosities, the things we like. Just as there's opposition in all things, I suppose clickbait is here to stay.
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