Mechanisms By Which Implicit Advertising on Short Video Platforms Erodes Consumer Trust

Abstract

With the rapid development of short video platforms, a new form of consumer guidance known as "grass planting" has gradually become an important means for young users to obtain product information and make purchasing decisions. The deepening of the commercialization of new social media platforms has led to the gradual penetration of implicit software and broad, blurring the boundary between bloggers and consumers. This study constructs a three-stage model of "trustlessness" (trust input-dilution-disintegration) to explore the mechanism of implicit advertising eroding trust through content disguise, algorithm reinforcement, and emotional discourse. The study combines literature review, case analysis and user psychology theory, using a mixed qualitative and quantitative method to analyze user recognition ability and trust changes. The results show that users are easily misled by content disguised as "real sharing", and the exposure effect of the platform algorithm deepens the illusion of trust, but once the interest relationship is exposed, the collapse of trust spreads rapidly. The conclusion is that the erosion of trust in implicit advertising is a structural result of the interaction between content design, platform mechanism and user psychology. Governance recommendations include improving algorithm transparency, clarifying advertising labels, and strengthening media literacy, providing theoretical and practical references for platform governance, advertising ethics, and consumer education.