Usage of Social Media by Medical and Dental Students at Nishtar Medical College, Multan, Pakistan

摘要

This study explores the usage of social media by Bachelor of Medicine, and Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (MBBS and BDS) postgraduate students (PGS) at Nishtar Medical College, Multan, Pakistan. It explores the use of social media, student reasons for using social media, the preferred place of use, problems faced in using social media sites, and social media's effectiveness in their academic performance. A questionnaire was used that was developed after a comprehensive review of literature. The response rate was 65%. The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS Statistics, version 17. The findings show that the majority of respondents use Facebook and YouTube as compared with other social media sites. Eighty-seven percent of respondents were members of different social media communities or groups. Mostly respondents use social media for getting information and to keep in touch with their friends. All face electricity failure and time management problems. The survey showed that 88.3% of respondents spent 1 to 5 hours per week on social media sites. A majority of respondents agreed that social media plays an effective role in academic performance, recommending that social media be used for discussing issues related to health, patient care, and treatment. Libraries should utilize social media to communicate the library mission and services in order to prove their existence and worth for information users.