Final answer:
People can generally maintain full attention on a message for up to 20 minutes, though in the context of social media, the initial capture of the audience's attention must occur within the first 10 seconds to be effective.
Step-by-step explanation:
Generally, people can give full attention to a message for no longer than 20 minutes. This is because attention spans tend to wane as time progresses, necessitating that messages, especially when addressing live audiences, be crafted to accommodate this limitation. In the context of public speaking or social media, where the competition for attention is intense, the timeframe you have to capture and retain audience engagement is even shorter. Social media often operates on the principle of immediate engagement, with some sources suggesting that you have about 10 seconds to gain a viewer's attention before they move on. Moreover, about 45 percent of viewers may disengage after one minute. Therefore, crafting messages that are concise and can grab attention within these brief windows of time is crucial.