• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.348-356
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• 2022

The main objective of this paper is to probe the extent to which misinformation propagated through the different social media platforms contribute effectively in the process of directing, shaping and reshaping societal awareness of Saudis. In so doing, this paper attempts to delve into the relationship between linguistic misinformation and societal awareness, by exploring the perception of Saudis towards social media news, particularly misinformation and the extent to which this misinformation influences the social attitudes of Saudis in terms of various societal issues. Two main research questions are addressed in this study. First, to what extent does social media misinformation affect Saudis' awareness? Second, what are the linguistic manifestations of misinformation presented in the different social platforms? Two main findings have been recorded in this study: first, misinformation significantly contributes to the societal awareness of Saudis; and, second, however misinformation is linguistically manifested at the different levels of linguistic analysis, it is highly representative at the lexicalization level of language use.