South Africa, Jan. 12 -- Of all views from videos, 67% come from videos under 30 seconds, even though those clips make up a minority of total uploads.

The implication is clear: this isn't about shrinking attention spans. It's about how platforms reward behaviour.

This is according to behavioural data from Virlo, a data intelligence platform focused on short-form video virality and audience behaviour.

TikTok allows uploads up to 60 minutes, YouTube Shorts now stretches well beyond its original limits and Instagram Reels supports longer formats, tooYet despite those expanded caps, virality is clustering tighter than ever around one threshold: 30 seconds.

Algorithms reward completion

In 2026, short-form algorithms prioritise completion ...