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 2024 to February 2025. A proportional stratified random sampling method was applied across ten faculties, followed by simple random sampling within each faculty. Out of 362 distributed questionnaires, 312 were fully completed and returned. The study utilized a researcher-developed 10-item questionnaire rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with a midpoint value of three representing agreement. Content validity was confirmed by Content Validity Index (CVI) ranging from 0.90 to 1.00, with an acceptable level of reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.745). Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS 24 using independent samples t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).Results: Among respondents, 65.7% were female and 74.7% were undergraduates. The most frequently reported positive aspects were increased political awareness (2.95±1.50) and opportunities to connect with specialists and professional needs (3.05±1.35). Negative aspects most often reported were disrupted sleep patterns (3.20±1.20) and academic delays (3.10±1.12). Single students consistently gave higher ratings across all questionnaire items, with significant differences observed in perceptions related to ethical issues in cyberspace (P=0.001), political awareness (P=0.011), awareness of new technologies (P=0.016), and professional networking (P=0.039). Comparing educational levels, the undergraduates, showed higher mean scores than postgraduate students, with significant differences for ethical issues (P=0.005), political awareness (P=0.009), technology awareness (P=0.002), and networking opportunities (P=0.002).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.