THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATIONS BY MEDICAL STUDENTS: A STUDY OF FAZAIA RUTH PFAU MEDICAL COLLEGE (FRPMC), PAKISTAN

Abstract

The introduction of social media applications (SMAs) in the late 1990s has aided the diversification of our social circles on many fronts. Hence, this study sought to identify the use of SMAs by the students (undergraduate and postgraduate) of Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College (FRPMC), Pakistan. A survey research design was applied, while a questionnaire was used as an instrument to collect data in August 2022 from the current students (batch 2020, 2021, and 2022) of the college. The questionnaire was designed on a Google form and sent to the official WhatsApp group of the students that was created by the student affairs section of the College for distribution. Before that, a pilot study was randomly conducted on 30 students. The results of the study revealed that the students of FRPMC use various SMAs, prominent among which are WhatsApp, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. More so, the study revealed that, though the students enjoy using these appsfor an average of 1-2 hours a day to source current information for their academic activities, they usually experience some challenges like anxiety and unnecessary advertisements while using the apps. The study recommended that librarians need to offer training sessions on how to effectively use SMAs by medical students