Social Network Misinformation and Attitudinal Shift: A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Abstract

This paper attempts to investigate the extent to which linguistic misinformation via social networking platforms affects an attitudinal shift on the part of Saudis in terms of the social, political, and religious issues propagated by the various social networks. This study delves into the verbal and nonverbal linguistic strategies employed to influence the cognitive background of Saudis as well as their ideological beliefs in a way that targets a shift in their attitudinal behavior, socially, politically, and religiously. The paper analytically covers two linguistic dimensions of using language to influence others, either persuasively or manipulatively: the lexical level, which focuses on the lexical choices of particular words that serve to create a specific attitudinal shift in the recipients’ personalities, and the pragmatic level, which constitutes the intended meaning of speakers or writers that lies beyond the surface propositional meaning of the linguistic expression. To achieve its objective, the paper draws on two analytical strands: critical discourse analysis (CDA) and the social cognitive theory (SCT). The paper has three main findings: first, language is a rhetorical device for influencing the public’s political, social, and religious views, and, therefore, the rhetorical power of the word significantly contributes to attitudes shift; second, misinformation propagated via social networks influences the attitudinal behavior of recipients, particularly at the social level; and, third, social platforms are ideology conduits via which various meanings targeting attitudes shift are communicated.