Research Proposal

An assessment of social media addiction among pre-clinical

Supervisor
DR. GOUTAM KUMAR JESWANI
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Co Supervisor
DR RUQIA CHANDIO
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Submitted by
Group B1 MBBS

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE & HEALTH SCIENCES

INTRODUCTION

Social media (SM) is one of the most powerful tools of communication and learning in the recent
era1. By social media, we mean web Corresponding author. tools and different applications

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designed to enhance knowledge, communication, and instant information sharing 2 Different types
of information can be shared through these social networking sites in the form of texts, videos,
pictures, audios, and references (contacts). Due to the constant increase in the use of these social
networking sites in our daily routine life, their use in teaching and learning has become inevitable 3.
There are many social media sites that are being used by the students and educators for their
learning, teaching, clinical skill training, sharing their experiences and communications e.g.,
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Google, WhatsApp, Wikis, etc. 4. Although these sites are
frequently used by the students and educators but have not been considered a formal instructional
tool for learning and teaching 5.
Students use social media to get new information and to communicate effectively with their peers 6.
This method of learning and teaching has become very common and popular among medical
students7. Learning by social media has grown so wide that it has crossed the boundaries of the
classrooms and engages the student in their formal and informal learning 8. Modern-day curriculum
in medical colleges is also promoting and encouraging e-learning 9. This indirectly relates to the use
of social media for learning and empowers students to take charge of their own learning 10.
According to a survey carried out in the United States, 79.4% of medical students are active on
online social media for their learning 11.
New media has also created a revolution in health services. The Internet and social media are being
used as reference guides for sensitive health issues by nonprofessionals and physicians alike 12.
Furthermore, one-third of individuals with Internet access have looked at blogs, online news
groups, and web sites regarding the medical experiences of others, and 6% of these have
contributed content through comments, messages, photographs, sound files, and health assessments
by professionals or institutes 13. Individuals with chronic diseases or specific illnesses (e.g.,
multiple sclerosis or celiac dis- ease) are able to take part in online patient communities in which
they can share experiences and treatment options, contact physicians and other patients, and obtain
detailed information regarding their diseases. Physicians are also increasingly using social media
both profession- ally and in their daily lives 14,15

This indirectly relates to the use of social media for learning and empowers students to take charge
of their own learning 16.
According to a survey carried out in the United States, 79.4% of medical students are active on
online social media for their learning.17
In studies done later, definitions shifted towards a more dimensional direction when it was
understood that internet overuse hurt people in many ways. For example, Caplan (2005) defines

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problematic internet use as multi-dimensional syndrome18. Using the internet at the level of
addiction leads to increased introverted personality traits and decreased extroverted personality
traits.19
In one study, in individuals with some other disorders such as hyperactivity, and attention deficit
disorder (ADD), social media addiction is examined through some other variables (Uzun, Yildirim
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and Uzun, 2016).21 On the other hand. It is stated that since social networks enable the individual
to present himself or herself in his or her own self image, highly narcissistic people tend to be more
active in social media platforms (Buffardi ve Campbell, 2008)22. The negativities such as little and
poor quality sleep, excessive mental occupation, recurrent thoughts to control and limit the use,
failure to prevent access requests, to spend more time with the internet at any time, and to desire
while not being online have been reported in the literature (Andreassen 2012; Cam and Isbulan,
2012; Dewald et al., 2010)23`24 These studies have shown that social media use may lead to many
problems such as a decrease in social activities, deterioration in academic performance, as well as
relationship problems25.
In order to define and identify which types of behaviors may be considered as an addiction, Brown
(1993) used six criteria, later extended by Griffiths (1996b, 2005). More specifically, in relation to
social media use, these are:
& Salience: This refers social media use being the single most important thing in the individual’s
life both cognitively and behaviorally.
& Mood modification: This refers to social media use being used to consistently and reliably
change an individual’s mood state.
& Tolerance: This refers to the amount of social media use building up over time so that longer
periods spent engaged in social media use are needed to get the desired mood modifying effects.
& Withdrawal symptoms: This refers to both physiological and psychological effects that occur
when reducing or discontinuing use of social media.
& Conflict: This refers to social media use compromising and damaging interpersonal relationships,
negatively impacting on occupational and/or educational activities, and creating intrapsychic
conflicts (e.g., subjective loss of control).
& Relapse: This refers to the tendency to re-establish addictive social media behaviors after a
period of abstinence.

OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY

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 I. To assess the positive and negative effects of social
media.
II. To assess the thinking ability of medical students
III. To assess the effects on social behavior/interaction.
IV. Life without social media
RATIONALE OF THE STUDY

I. There is a growing body of research indicating that excessive social media use can have
negative impacts on mental health and academic performance, particularly among young
people.
II. Medical students are under considerable stress due to the demands of their coursework and
clinical rotations, and social media use may exacerbate these stressors.
III. Despite the potential risks, many medical students continue to use social media frequently,
and there is a need to better understand the effects of this behavior on their well-being and
academic outcomes.
IV. The specific context of PUMHSW in Nawabshah, Sindh, Pakistan is important to consider,
as cultural and social factors may influence how social media use affects mental health and
education in this population.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

1. Social media use: For the purposes of this study, social media use will be operationalized as
the number of hours per day that participants spend on social media platforms, including
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and other social networking sites. Participants will
be asked to self-report their average daily social media use in hours and minutes.
2. Mental health: Mental health will be operationalized using a validated questionnaire such as
the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7).
Participants will be asked to complete the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 questionnaires, which
measure symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively.
MATERIAL AND METHODS

STUDY SETTINGS: This Study conducted in Peoples University of Medical and Health
Sciences for Women Nawabshah.

STUDY POPULATION: Study populations the participants included in the study will
be medical students.
DURATION OF STUDY: Duration of study 6 months after approval at synopsis by Ethical
Review Committee

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional

SAMPLING TECHNIQUE: Convenience

Sample size = Z2 P (1-P)

d2

SAMPLE SELECTION:

Inclusion: First year, Second year students

Exclusion Criteria: Third year, Fourth year and Final year students
ETHICAL CONSIDERATION:

All participants will participate voluntarily. Before participation, written consent will be obtained
from participants. The data required for research purpose will be kept confidential will be
maintained
 REFERENCE
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The intersection of online social networking with medical professionalism.

Annex-1. Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS)

Never
Item No

Always
Sometimes
Rarely

Often
Items
1 I pretty much think about what’s going on at social media recently.
2 If there’s anything I have to do first I check the social media.
3 When I don’t check the social media for a while, the thought of checking it occupies my mind.
4 I think that my life would be boring, blank and tasteless without social media.
5 When I’m not connected to the internet, I intensely think of checking the social media.
6 I wonder of what’s happening at social media.
7 There are times that I spent more time at social media than I think.
8 Each time I decide to cut my connection with social media, I tell myself “a few more minutes”.
9 I can’t give up using social media for a long while.
10 There are times that I use social media more than I plan.
11 I can’t understand how time passes while using social media.
12 I allocate long periods to actions (games, chat, viewing the photographs etc) relevant to social media.
13 I use social media in order to forget my personal problems.
14 I spend time at social media at times when I feel alone.
15 I prefer surfing at social media in order to be relieved from negative thoughts regarding my life.
16 When I get bored of my problems, the best place that I shelter is social media.
17 I forget about everything along the period that I use social media.
18 There happens to be times when I try to stop using social media and become unsuccessful.
19 I desire intensively to regulate my use of social media.
20 I make useless efforts in order to leave the use of social media.
21 I make useless efforts in order to regulate the use of social media.
22 I try to decrease the time that I spent at social media, and I become unsuccessful.
23 I use social media more although it negatively affects my profession/studies.
24 I give less priority to my hobbies and leisure activities due to social media.
25 There happens to be times that I neglect my spouse and family members due to social media.
26 There happens times that I neglect my friends due to social media.
27 Due to social media, I can not complete the activities that I start in a timely manner.
28 In order to spend more time at social media, I neglect activities regarding school or work.
29 I prefer spending time at social media rather than spending time with my friends.
30 My school studies or works are interrupted due to the time I spent at social media.
31 My productivity decreases due to social media.
32 I prefer spending time at social media rather than going out with my friends.
33 People criticize me for the time I spend at social media.
34 I find myself trying to hide the time I spent on social media.
35 There happens times that I forget eating due to social media.
36 There happens times that I allocate less time to my personal care due to social media use.
37 Alterations/disturbances occur in my sleeping order due to social media use.
38 There happens times that I encounter physical problems (back, head, eye aches) due to social media use.
39 The use of social media causes me to encounter problems in my relations with individuals who are important for
me.
40 The use of social media causes problems in my life.
41 As the things I have to do increase, my desire to use social media increases at that rate.

Signature of research participant / Guardian

Date:

Signature of researcher
Date