Pop culture clickbait has not changed in ten years. The formulas are the same. "You won't believe what X looks like now." "Fans are divided over Y's new look." "Z reacts to old interview." The industry works because humans have not evolved new defences against manufactured curiosity.
The hook is a gap in knowledge. Your brain hates an open loop. Clickbait opens a loop and promises to close it. The content rarely delivers. The photo is not shocking. The reaction is not controversial. But by then you have already given your attention and your data.
The most reliable patterns rely on nostalgia and status anxiety. A child star from 2003 looks different. A band member made a comment. These stories cost nothing to produce and generate predictable engagement. The audience knows they are being manipulated. They click anyway.
This will not change. The business model rewards the open loop. The platforms optimise for the same thing. The only defence is to recognise the gap and let it stay open. Paul