How academic physicians can benefit from social media

Social media for the regional anesthesiologist: can we use it in place of medical journals?

The regional anesthesia community regularly uses social media for advocacy and education. Well-known leaders in the field are willing to share their opinions with colleagues in a public forum. Some visionaries predict that the influence of social media will soon transcend that of the traditional academic journal. While physicians support the use of social media, an trend may exist toward anecdotal information. Does a lack of online regulation along with a bias towards self-promotion cloud meaningful discussion? In order to avoid the pitfalls of social media, thoughtful communication will help regional anesthesiologists promote their subspecialty. Mindful dialog, promotion of academic journals, and professional etiquette will help maintain a collegial environment.

Social-media use and academic performance among undergraduates in biology

The development of social media applications has made it an important part of students' personal lives. In this article, we aim to determine whether social media usage is beneficial or harmful to college students through academic performance. Through a survey of biological undergraduates, we found that boys use social media applications more frequently than girls, and that GPA is inversely related to the number of social media applications that students subscribe to. In addition, we found that using more social media applications is positively related to the amount of time spent on social media per day. Our research shows that social media may have a negative impact on undergraduates' study habits and academic performance. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(6):615-619, 2019.