Ten Seconds to Hook You

A Streaming platforms used to release one long trailer for a new series. Today many studios cut a six-second teaser first, because viewers scrolling on their phones decide almost instantly whether to keep watching.

B Marketing teams test dozens of versions before a show comes out. If audiences skip a clip within the first three seconds, editors move the most exciting scene to the very beginning. Some fans complain that this habit spoils the best moments of the story.

C Not everyone is worried, however. Director Lena Ortiz says that a short teaser works like a movie poster: it only has to make you curious. "The full trailer still exists," she explains, "but people have to want to find it."

D Researchers who study attention also point out that teenagers are not simply less patient. They are better at judging quickly whether something is worth their time.