Social Consequences of Cybercrime in Websites: Content Analysis of Some Electronic Newspapers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The study aimed to identify the social consequences of cybercrime in websites through electronic newspapers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These dimensions were represented in each of (the social dimension, the psychological dimension, and the economic dimension). The descriptive approach was used to suit the purposes of the study. The study sample was selected intentionally from the publications of Al-Watan and Sabq electronic newspapers, with (24) issues for each category and (8) issues per month for a period of three months in the year 2024. The content analysis form was relied upon to collect data.
The study results showed the existence of social consequences of cybercrime represented in each of (the social dimension, the psychological dimension, and the economic dimension) in websites in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The most prominent subcategories of the social dimension resulting from cybercrime were (social isolation, and impact on community security), while the most prominent subcategories of the psychological dimension resulting from cybercrime were (sleep disturbance, and fear of others), and the most prominent subcategories of the economic dimension resulting from cybercrime were (exposure to fraud and financial extortion).
The study recommended the need to organize awareness campaigns at the Saudi society level so that individuals can learn about the of cybercrimes dangers and ways to prevent them.