New Delhi, April 27 -- In the attention economy, where user time is the scarcest commodity, platforms such as content sites, OTT services and social networks are competing for every second of engagement. Several studies peg Gen Z attention spans at just around eight seconds, less than that of a goldfish. Ironically, video streaming and social media platforms-often blamed for this shrunk span-are now trying to hold users longer. They are rolling out mini-games and interactive features to boost retention and keep users within their ecosystems. And with habit-forming and engaging features, they may pull in users still reeling under India's real-money gaming curbs.

YouTube, Google's video streaming giant, has just introduced 'Playables' to i...