Connectivity and Integration of Instagram(®) Use in the Lives of Dental Students and Professionals: A Country-Wide Cross-Sectional Study Using the InstaAA© Questionnaire

PURPOSE: This study probed towards the impact of Instagram(®) on the lives of dental students and professionals and how it affects their learning and professional performance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 24-item copyrighted and validated questionnaire was employed to examine the affinity and aftermath of Instagram(®) in the lives of dental students using a cross-sectional survey technique. Part I (6 questions) is the first of three sections included information on the participant’s sociodemographic traits, Part II (8 questions) - Screened to determine Instagram(®) use, and Part III (10 questions) - Was based on attitudes regarding Instagram(®) to assess their mental, physical, and emotional well-being. It includes a Likert scale with ten questions. The sample was collected by combining convenience and snowball sampling approaches. The difference in proportion was assessed using frequency and percentage. The Chi Square test of proportion was used to the data to examine and a p value <0.05 was considered as the proportional difference. RESULTS: The study comprised 461 participants, with 155 (33.6%) men and 306 (66.4%) women, having an average age of 23.13 ± 4.95 years. Among the participants, a significant proportion (119, 25.8%) were dental interns. In terms of Instagram(®) usage, 167 participants (36.2%) reported spending between 30 minutes and 1 hour on the platform (p<0.01). Approximately 52.5% acknowledged the influence of Instagram(®) on their dressing, behaviour, and usage of other social media platforms (p<0.01). Moreover, 52.1% experienced common distractions while performing important tasks, and 40.6% reported negative effects on their mental and emotional well-being (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This research concludes by emphasizing the huge influence that Instagram(®) has on dental workers’ life. The results underline the necessity of striking a balance between social media use and academic and personal obligations while also emphasizing the need for knowledge and education about Instagram(®) features and ramifications.