This is very common, specially in longer content. I think a lot of people are in the habit of just skimming through too many articles, rather than fully reading fewer ones that they more selectively chose. In response, publishers try to do anything they can to catch your eye and keep your attention “here”, rather than you quickly moving on to something else. And probably as content becomes more “skimmable” this way, people in turn make even more use of these flashy bits, re-enforcing this vicious circle. I find them annoying because it reminds me that the content is simultaneously trying to appeal to both skimmers and focused readers but has no idea which kind I am at the moment I’m reading it (I might be either).