USE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS AND MESSENGERS BY VETERINARY STUDENTS STUDYING OPERATIVE SURGERY

Abstract

With the proliferation of internet services and advances in smartphone technology, the number of people joining social networks is growing, and an industry is developing to cater to the needs of these users. Although there are many definitions of digital social networks, all researchers agree that they represent a space or interaction system in which people engage, share information, and communicate with each other through an electronic platform connected to the internet. It is an environment that allows the establishment of interpersonal relationships at a distance. Teenagers and young people have positively embraced the emergence of social networks and often incorporate new technologies into their daily lives for information exchange and leisure The changes taking place in technology are affecting various industries, including the educational environment. Social networks have emerged as interactive learning environments characterized by the active participation and interaction of students within educational organizations. They foster a responsible attitude towards collaborative work and the collective construction of knowledge, enhance self-esteem, and positively impact academic performance and cognitive language skills. Students are avid users of social networks, with many of them actively seeking opportunities to enhance their professional training, including those provided by social networks. This also applies to veterinary students studying operative surgery. Currently, there is a lack of data on their use of social networks for educational purposes. The goal of the conducted research was to elucidate these issues. In the research process, an analysis of scientific sources on the use of social networks for educational purposes was carried out. Sociological methods such as surveys, observations, and questionnaires were employed to gather data on the use of social networks and messengers by veterinary students studying operative surgery. According to the obtained data, when choosing social networks, all veterinary students studying operative surgery prefer “Instagram”, “YouTube”, and “TikTok”, with 30% of them being active users of “Facebook”. For short message exchange, all veterinary students use Viber, and in addition, 20% use the Telegram messenger, while 10% use WhatsApp. Among all social networks, students studying operative surgery primarily use video hosting platforms such as YouTube (90%), Instagram (70%), and Facebook (20%) for educational purposes. Other platforms are mainly used for communication and nonacademic information search. Seventy percent of students studying operative surgery watch surgical videos on social networks as educational materials, while the remaining 30% prefer text materials. Of all students studying operative surgery, 70% have an interest in surgical work, while 40% are uncertain about their ability to perform it.