A Study on Awareness and Use of Internet Services among First MBBS Students in India

Abstract

Background: Internet is used in the field of medicine for a variety of purposes, including teaching, diagnosis, medical examination, and research. It has grown into the world's largest library, with retrieval of scientific resources only a mouse click away, providing a wide range of information. Objectives: To study the pattern of internet access and utilization among first MBBS students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 142 first-year MBBS students at an Indian tertiary health care centre. A questionnaire was used to collect data.

Results: The current study found that all students used the internet and thought it was a useful tool. Most of the individuals felt that use of internet was time saving and preferred mobile over other gadgets for various browsing activities like downloading text materials, videos and pictures. Conclusion: Despite the fact that the majority of students had knowledge and awareness of internet usage, it is not being used effectively as an educational tool. To reduce the occurrence of internet addiction behaviour, efforts should be made to implement interventional measures that can improve computer usage skills and access among students.