The utilization of social networking sites, their perceived benefits and their potential for improving the study habits of nursing students in five countries

Valdez et al. BMC Nursing (2020) 19:52 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-020-00447-5 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access The utilization of social networking sites, their perceived benefits and their potential for improving the study habits of nursing students in five countries Glenn Ford D. Valdez1* , Arcalyd Rose R. Cayaban2, Sadeq Al-Fayyadh3, Mehmet Korkmaz4, Samira Obeid5, Cheryl Lyn A. Sanchez6, Muna B. Ajzoon7, Howieda Fouly8 and Jonas P. Cruz9 Abstract Background: The abundance of easy and accessible information and the rapid development of social networking sites (SNSs) have proven that the world is small and within reach. The great implication of this interconnectivity is attributable to the change in the learning and sharing environment, which for the most part is something that classrooms are lacking. Considering the potential implications of SNSs in nursing education reveals the benefits of SNSs in allowing students to communicate and interact with a wider audience and beyond the classroom. The aim of this study is to identify the extent of SNS utilization, the perceived benefits of SNSs and the potential of SNSs for improving the study habits of nursing students in five countries (Israel, Iraq, Oman, the Philippines and Turkey). Methods: This study is a quantitative cross-sectional study that determined the relationship between the utilization of SNSs, the perceived benefits of SNSs, and the potential of SNSs for improving the study habits of nursing students in the five participating countries (Israel, Iraq, Oman, the Philippines, and Turkey). This paper is based on carefully analysing the survey responses of a sample of 1137 students from an online hosting site. The online instrument focuses on the extent of the utilization and benefits of SNSs according to their accessibility, usability, efficiency and reliability. Results: Based on the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) our findings, reveal a significant positive correlation between the extent of a possible improvement in study habits and the extent of SNS utilization in terms of the four domains, namely, accessibility (r = 0.246), usability (r = 0.377), reliability (r = 0.287) and efficiency (r = 0.387). Conclusion: It can be concluded that there is a significant positive correlation between students’ study habits and the extent of SNS utilization, meaning that the more students devote themselves to their study habits, the higher the level of SNS utilization. The use of SNSs by nursing students has positive and negative implications, and there is greater potential for further improving approaches to nursing education through the adaptation of curricula based on the proper utilization of SNSs. Keywords: Social networking sites, Nursing students, Study habits, SNS benefits * Correspondence: 1 Research & Community Services Coordinator, Oman College of Health Sciences, Salalah, Dhofar, Oman Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. Valdez et al. BMC Nursing (2020) 19:52 Background In today’s generation, the rapid and ever-changing advances in technology and interconnectivity through networking has dramatically influenced the culture of learning and knowledge acquisition. The abundance of easy and accessible information and the rapid development of social networking sites (SNSs) have proven that the world is small and within reach. The great implication of this interconnectivity is attributable to the change in the learning and sharing environment, which for the most the part is something that classrooms are lacking. Additionally, social media in nursing education have shown great potential for influencing students’ study habits [1]. Online SNSs (e.g., Facebook, Myspace, Flicker, Twitter, and YouTube) have emerged as the fastest means of exchanging personal and professional information among college students [2]. SNS utilization is defined as the utilization of information networks as a form of communication widely used for several purposes. SNSs are used to interact with users and to generate content, and in recent years, they have seen expansion with regard to creating and maintaining relationships between people [3]. The issues related to SNSs are unlimited, but there is growing research on the use of social media as learning tools in higher education [4]. SNSs function like an online community of web users, depending on the website, and many of online SNSs are based on a shared interest. Once accessed, users may begin to socialize. This socialization may include reading the profile pages of other members and possibly even contacting them. The profiles of SNS users vary according to users’ discretion with regard to privacy and their visibility settings [5]. In this age of technological acuity, the world has become too small, and communication has become more efficient than ever. SNSs have played a vital role in forging connections, and Facebook is the most popular SNS in use today. Facebook has become one of the most regularly visited websites among college students, and because of its rise in popularity, the subject of SNSs among students and faculty has been a topic of concern. SNSs are seen as an alternative to social interaction, access to information and face-to-face interaction. SNSs, such as Facebook, seem to provide a ready space where the role conflicts that students and faculty often experience in their relationship with university work, staff, academic conventions, and expectations can be worked out in a backstage area. SNSs, such as Twitter, are utilized as a tool for posting explanations in study groups, for academic advising, and for student education [5]. Many researchers have discussed the broad benefits of SNSs in higher education [6]. Nursing students have identified three Page 2 of 14 proposed reasons for the use of social media to learn through social networking and to socialize with oth (...truncated)