The Internet Would Be Meaningless Without This

"This one minute will change your life." "You won't believe what happens next!" "And then this happened." I don't know where I'd be without clickbait. Unfortunately, though The Webby Awards wants to kill off this alternately loved and loathed Internet trend: According to this year's "In Memoriam: Clickbait," segment, clickbait is dead.

But before we jump on this misguided bandwagon, let's stop for a second and ask ourselves where we would be in a world without those headlines promising us a life changing experience just one click away. Sure, clicking on these posts takes us to the areas of the Internet that are full of pop-ups ads and junk mailing lists. And if we're on a mobile device, we'll end up with 16 tabs open and four new apps we didn't mean to download once all is said and done. But, think about what kind of people we'd be without seeing that video of those babies laughing in unison, or that one trick we never thought of to give us six-pack abs in two weeks. I mean, if it weren't for those cliffhanger posts guaranteeing my life would change if I took that clicking leap of faith, I might have just scrolled on by and continued living my meaningless existence.

Are these clickbait taglines truly dead? Maybe... but maybe not. Let's keep an eye out for them to make sure we don't go on living an Internet life without purpose. And don't forget to scroll down to watch the full video while you're at it!

1. #BasicBait AKA "You Won't Believe This..."

I won't. I can't. It's just TOO unbelievable that the population has doubled in the last 45 years. I mean that just cannot be true. How else would I ever know about this, except, you know, with science?

2. #OneWeirdTrickBait

One trick to rule them all. Where would I be if I hadn't learned that I can get a rockin' body with a "toning training routine and a super strict diet?"

3. #BaitAndSwitchBait

Say whaaaaa? But... it just looks like a bag of trash... How can it possibly be life-changing?! Well, I obviously have to find out.

4. #HopeBait

I think my heartstrings are about to literally melt into a puddle of inspiration.

5. #AnimalBait

OK. This is a no brainer. A video about a dog AND she's SURPRISED. Uh, what do you want me to do? Be heartless?

6. #DiabetesBait

If I hadn't clicked on this, how would I have known fast food wasn't good for me? Huh?

7. #DeathBait

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If it wasn't for posts like this, I would definitely be dead by now.

Images: David Goehring/Flickr; Conspiracy Club, Weight Loss And Training Tips, Shocking Videos (3), Mike Abramowitz, Buzzfeed (3)