What is Watch Time Optimisation?
When platforms reward creators for total watch time rather than quality, videos get padded and stretched, and your screen time inflates with them.
Where it comes from
Video Platform Algorithms (2012)
How it hooks you
Exploits misaligned incentives: when minutes watched is the metric that pays, your time becomes the product.
How to resist it
Use playback speed and skip controls freely when content feels padded.