STM Journals Peer-reviewed research from Consortium e-Learning Network

Research and Reviews: A Journal of Health Professions Original Research

The Social Media Misinformation Loop: An Analysis of Consumption and Sharing Behaviours among Medical Students

  1. Misbah Ul Huda Department of Library and Information Science, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara
  2. Ishfaq Hussain Wani Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir
  3. Khusbu Thakur Department of Library and Information Science, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara

Abstract

Background: The contemporary information landscape is largely dominated by social media, which has emerged as a major source of information for medical students. This study aims to investigate the information consumption and sharing behaviours of medical students in Jammu and Kashmir, India, in the context of misinformation and its growing influence.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire was administered to 668 students from 13 medical colleges. The data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests like the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results: The results show that while 20.35% students consume entertainment and 16.33% news and current events, 15.63% consume educational resources. In contrast, when it comes to information sharing, 20.06% students share medical news and trends, while 22.71% students share educational content. Gender and age did not emerge as significant in misinformation consumption, but there was a marked difference between the misinformation-sharing behaviour of students in the age groups 17–20 and 20–23 years.

Conclusion: The findings highlight the imperative of digital literacy within medical education. A training that would enable students to evaluate the source of information properly will reduce misinformation and enhance their academic and professional development. It is also necessary to include such skills in the curriculum to make students responsible in the digital era of healthcare professionals.

Keywords

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