How Twitter's New 'Time on Post' Metric Aims to Boost Engagement—And Why You Need to Watch Your Focus

In August 2024, Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X (formerly Twitter), shared some fascinating stats. X is growing fast—she mentioned that user engagement has hit an all-time high, with people spending over 9 billion active minutes on the platform. That’s a 25% increase from just two years ago. Part of this growth comes from new features like the ‘time on post’ metric, which tracks how long you stick around on a single tweet or thread.

This isn't just a random update—it's a clear sign that platforms like X are evolving to grab more of your attention.

You can view Linda Yaccarino's original tweet about these statistics here.

What’s the Deal with ‘Time on Post’?

The idea behind ‘time on post’ is pretty simple. X isn’t just interested in how many people like or retweet something anymore. Now, the platform wants to know how long people are engaging with a post. The longer you stay on a tweet, thread, or video, the more X considers that content valuable—and the more likely it is to boost it in others' feeds.

For creators, this is gold. The longer people stay on your content, the more likely it is to spread. But for the rest of us, there’s a catch. This metric is designed to keep you on the platform longer—and that can easily turn your “quick check” into an hour lost.

Why It’s a Big Deal for Your Focus

As much as I love diving into X, it’s one of those platforms where time seems to disappear. I’m sure you’ve had that moment where you open X to check something real quick—maybe read a thread or see what's trending—and then suddenly, it’s been 30 minutes and you’re five threads deep. That’s exactly what ‘time on post’ encourages.

And X isn’t shy about its success in capturing attention. Yaccarino proudly shared that “people spent 9 billion active minutes on the platform.” That’s wild. And that doesn’t even count the extra time people spend on videos, which have also seen a 45% increase in daily views.

Don’t get me wrong—there’s nothing wrong with engaging deeply with content, but when the platform is actively designed to pull you in for longer, it’s important to stay aware of how much time you’re actually spending.

How Purposely Can Help You Stay Intentional

This is exactly why I built Purposely. Personally, I kept finding myself typing "twitter.com" almost automatically every time I had a spare moment at my desk. Once I was there, the algorithm did its job, and I’d spend far more time than I planned.

With Purposely, I found a way to stop myself from getting lost in those endless threads. Every time I open X, the extension asks me a simple question: “Why are you here?” It forces me to set a clear intention—whether I’m here to post something, check notifications, or engage with a specific conversation—and then I set a time limit for myself.

It’s like having a personal assistant reminding me to stay on track. I still get to use X the way I need to, but I’m no longer at the mercy of the platform’s tricks to keep me scrolling.

Conclusion

Platforms like X are constantly evolving to keep you engaged longer, and the ‘time on post’ metric is a prime example of that. While this is great for creators and advertisers, it can be a real challenge for anyone trying to stay productive or manage their time.

With tools like Purposely, you don’t have to get sucked in. You can enjoy the platform, engage with the content you care about, and still leave when your goal is done—without wasting hours of your day. Like Yaccarino said, X is about global conversation, but with Purposely, you can keep that conversation from taking control of your time.