want to know why everyone uses clickbait thumbnails on youtube? because people are fucking simple and clickbait fucking works. i run these tests on every single video i post and it's always the same. the most clickbait-y thumbnail leads to the biggest watch time share/most engagement. you can't even blame it on the algorithm, because this tests people who are already getting videos served to them. it has nothing to do with the algorithmic serving itself, just how they act when the video is presented to them.

anyway. i fucking hate clickbait.