The Impact of Social Media on Professional Learning among Undergraduate Dental Students: A Cross-sectional Study.

Aim: To explore the advantages and drawbacks of social media (SM) use in undergraduate dental students' education.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 202 undergraduate students at RAK College of Dental Sciences. A questionnaire of 15 questions explored demographic information, the nature of SM used by the participants, the use of SM for educational purposes, and the negative impacts of SM use. Frequencies, percentages, and significant variables were analyzed using Chi-square test at a 95% confidence level (CI) using statistical software [Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26.0].

Results: Among the participants, 95% were SM users, and 80% had been using it for more than 5 years. 95% use SM regularly, and 70% spend 2-6 hours daily using SM. The primary purpose of using SM was entertainment and communication, mostly Instagram (82.38%), followed by Snapchat (58.49%) and YouTube (47.15%). Furthermore, SM is effective in obtaining new information (85%), and 90% consider clinical procedures on YouTube to be a helpful learning tool. Moreover, 75% of the participants recommended using SM as a learning tool, and 85% of the participants considered SM tutorial videos to be evidence-based. However, 70% of users are concerned about their addiction to using SM during lecture, laboratory, clinic, and examination periods, and 37% of them think spending time on SM can negatively affect their academic performance.

Conclusion: Undergraduate dental students frequently use SM for entertainment, communication, and educational purposes. Nevertheless, the addiction to SM negatively affects the students learning progress.

Clinical significance: The use of SM has both a positive and negative impact on undergraduate dental education. Incorporating evidence-based learning components into SM platforms can be useful in dental education. How to cite this article: Farghal NS, Islam MS, Dasnadi SP, et al. The Impact of Social Media on Professional Learning among Undergraduate Dental Students: A Cross-sectional Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2023;24(11):877-886.