“Temu is evil, but I still use it”: Platform cynicism in platform capitalism

Abstract

Recent scholarship in critical algorithm studies has illuminated how users negotiate and resist algorithmic influence in everyday platform use, yet these perspectives remain underexplored in online consumption. Bridging theoretical frameworks of consumer culture and critical algorithm studies, this study examines the complexities of algorithmic consumer culture and practices through qualitative research on users’ experiences with Temu. We introduce the concept of platform cynicism —an ambivalent and negotiated user attitude in which skepticism, mistrust, and criticism of platforms’ exploitative, manipulative, or unethical practices coexist with pragmatic, often reluctant engagement and tactical adaptation due to structural, social, economic, or cultural constraints. Platform cynicism manifests across five interconnected dimensions: cognitive awareness, affective disillusionment, pragmatic resignation, tactical adaptation, and user–platform co-constitution. This concept can extend beyond e-commerce to broader user-platform relationships, offering insights into how consumers adapt to, contest, and remain embedded in platform capitalism despite critical awareness of their manipulative nature.