Shanghai, China
The "silent boycott" is an emerging form of algorithmic consumer resistance practiced by Generation Z on social media platforms. Our study aimed to develop a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding this phenomenon. Our objectives were to identify the causal drivers of the "silent boycott", classify its methodological manifestations, explicate the underlying algorithmic mechanisms through which individual actions aggregate into systemic effects, and evaluate its implications for brands, platforms, and theoretical conceptualizations of consumer power. The study connected individual resistance tactics to platform-level distributional consequences and advertising auction dynamics, demonstrating that aggregated non-interaction behaviors generate measurable systemic effects. We employed an integrative theoretical methodology combining systematic literature review with cross-sectional data analysis from industry reports and empirical studies (2018–2025). Four primary drivers were identified: advertising overload, value gap between brand rhetoric and practice, declining trust in influencer marketing, and heightened algorithmic literacy. Four principal resistance methods were classified: zero engagement tactics, active use of platform feedback functions, strategic support for ethical content, and collective informal practices. We concluded that the "silent boycott" is a fundamental shift in consumer-platform power dynamics, necessitating strategic recalibration by brands and platforms. Individual non-interaction behaviors, when aggregated at scale, significantly alter algorithmic distribution patterns, reduce organic reach, and increase advertising costs while diminishing returns.
Generation Z, "silent boycott", social media algorithms, advertising resistance, consumer activism, influencer marketing, algorithmic literacy, digital marketing
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