Congratulations, you've been Rickrolled

If you thought you were too internet savvy to fall for a good old-fashioned Rickroll in 2024, the joke's on you. Or maybe I'm just too gullible for this world. I suppose it could be both.

Apparently an X (Formerly Twitter) user wanted to test the internet to see who might still fall for a Rickroll. Spoiler alert: Thousands of people fell for it. Because when someone tells you a video with billions of views has been taken down, of COURSE you're going to want to see the evidence for yourself, right?

If you're not familiar with the classic Rickroll, or you need a refresher, it's quite simple. In the very early days of YouTube, it became common practice to trick people into clicking on a now infamous music video by Rick Astley. Falling for the trick became known as "Rickrolling." And it doesn't matter how long you've been online. You're not immune. None of us are.

Because, in case you haven't figured it out by now, the video has not in fact been taken down by YouTube. Even if it had, you wouldn't be able to interact with it. But don't worry. Over 30,000 people and counting have clicked on the linik to the video in that tweet. You're not alone.

I'm choosing to take this as a sign that the kids are alright. The internet is still wholly good. Some things, some of the best things, never change. Forget about the fact that this was absolutely engagement farming and it worked and that's a little dystopian. It worked because internet culture, when stripped down to its fundamental elements, really does still just want to have fun.

I'm not going to Rickroll you in this article, because I have morals. But I did find a video you might like instead as an apology for bringing any of this up at all. You're welcome.