Exploring Iranian Medical Students' Views on the Pros and Cons of Social Networking: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Social media plays an increasingly influential role in personal, academic, and professional experiences of medical students. This study explored Iranian students’ perspectives on the benefits and drawbacks of social media and analyzed how these perceptions differed across demographic and educational characteristics.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among medical students at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), Iran, from October ۲۰۲۴ to February ۲۰۲۵. A proportional stratified random sampling method was applied across ten faculties, followed by simple random sampling within each faculty. Out of ۳۶۲ distributed questionnaires, ۳۱۲ were fully completed and returned. The study utilized a researcher-developed ۱۰-item questionnaire rated on a ۵-point Likert scale, with a midpoint value of three representing agreement. Content validity was confirmed by Content Validity Index (CVI) ranging from ۰.۹۰ to ۱.۰۰, with an acceptable level of reliability (Cronbach’s α = ۰.۷۴۵). Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS ۲۴ using independent samples t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).Results: Among respondents, ۶۵.۷% were female and ۷۴.۷% were undergraduates. The most frequently reported positive aspects were increased political awareness (۲.۹۵±۱.۵۰) and opportunities to connect with specialists and professional needs (۳.۰۵±۱.۳۵). Negative aspects most often reported were disrupted sleep patterns (۳.۲۰±۱.۲۰) and academic delays (۳.۱۰±۱.۱۲). Single students consistently gave higher ratings across all questionnaire items, with significant differences observed in perceptions related to ethical issues in cyberspace (P=۰.۰۰۱), political awareness (P=۰.۰۱۱), awareness of new technologies (P=۰.۰۱۶), and professional networking (P=۰.۰۳۹). Comparing educational levels, the undergraduates, showed higher mean scores than postgraduate students, with significant differences for ethical issues (P=۰.۰۰۵), political awareness (P=۰.۰۰۹), technology awareness (P=۰.۰۰۲), and networking opportunities (P=۰.۰۰۲).Conclusion: Social media is a double-edged tool for medical students, supporting professional growth while also causing disruptions. Medical schools can maximize its benefits by promoting digital professionalism, responsible use, and strategies to prevent academic and health drawbacks.

کلیدواژه ها:

Social Media ، Students ، Medical ، Cross-sectional studies ، Demographic variables ، Social networking