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Cited by 89Social Media in Health EducationImpact of Technology on AdolescentsDental Education, Practice, Research

Social media use, attitudes, behaviours and perceptions of online professionalism amongst dental students

Kenny, P., Johnson, I. G.·2016·British Dental Journal
DOI 10.1038/sj.bdj.2016.864
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Abstract

Use of social media has increased amongst health professionals. This has benefits for patient care but also introduces risks for confidentiality and professional fitness to practise. This study aimed to examine dental student attitudes towards professional behaviour on social media. The secondary aim was to establish the extent and nature of social media use and exposure to potentially unprofessional behaviours. A cross-sectional study was carried out in one dental school. Data were collected using questionnaires to examine social media use, perceptions and attitudes towards social media and professional behaviours online. Students who responded (N = 155) all used social media at least once per week; most used more than one platform. Students were aware of the relationship between social media use and professional practice. Posting drunken photographs and interacting with staff and patients online were widely considered as unprofessional. Security settings affected behaviour and most had seen inappropriate behaviours online. The study found that students use social media extensively.. Students are aware of the risks but there is a greater sense of safety in closed groups and many students are exposed to potentially inappropriate content online. This suggests that training should be implemented to help students manage these risks.

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This cross-sectional survey of 155 dental students at one UK dental school found extensive social media use and general awareness of online professionalism risks. Many students considered potentially unprofessional behaviours inappropriate, yet most had witnessed such behaviours online and some reported doing them, with closed groups perceived as safer.

Key findings

  • All 155 respondents used social media at least weekly; most used more than one platform. Facebook was the most commonly and regularly used platform (n=153, 98.9% per text; table reports 150/155 regular users, 97%).
  • Most students (n=135, 87%) did not feel their social media behaviour was separate from dental school, and the majority were aware of fitness to practise procedures.
  • Widely rated as unprofessional: posting photos of intoxicated students (n=143, 92%), using open/public groups to discuss patients (n=149, 96%) or staff/other students (n=151, 97%), and interacting with patients via social media (n=140, 90%). However, many had seen such behaviours online, including intoxicated photos (n=120, 77%), drinking photos (n=115, 74%), and clinical-setting photos (n=131, 86%).
  • Most intended to review (n=64, 41.29%) or make minor changes (n=58, 37.42%) to their profiles upon qualification; only 16 intended to do nothing, and 17 (11%) intended to delete profiles or create separate professional identities.

Methods

  • Cross-sectional survey using a paper-based questionnaire, approved by the University Research Ethics Committee (Ref:15/19), conducted in one UK dental school; data collected June–July 2015.
  • Convenience sample of three consecutive undergraduate year groups (years 2, 3, and 4) from the 2014/15 cohort; 155 responses received, a 90% response rate from 172 students.
  • Questionnaire covered demographics, social media frequency, attitudes, and 16 professional scenarios using Likert and dichotomous scales; piloted for relevance and face validity. Data entered into SPSS; descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests used.

Limitations

  • Stated: single point in time, reliance on self-report and recall, and possible social acceptability/reporting bias despite anonymous data collection.
  • Stated: the study did not examine when, where, or how often inappropriate social behaviours were seen, and was limited to a single dental school with training in this topic, limiting generalizability.
  • Evident from the text: the cross-sectional design cannot establish causality, and the convenience sample from one school further limits broader inference.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1038/sj.bdj.2016.864

Cites

24 of 24 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

0 of 3 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingown data
    § Results

    The majority of students rated interactions with patients via social media as unprofessional.

    “The majority of students rated using open and public groups to discuss patients, staff or other students, interactions with patients via social media and making negative comments regarding people’s characteristics as unprofessional.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data
    § Abstract

    All responding dental students (n=155) used social media at least once per week.

    “Students who responded (n=155) all used social media at least once per week; most used more than one platform.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data
    § Results

    80% of students reported that using closed groups to discuss staff/other students was unprofessional.

    “The majority of students reported that using closed groups to discuss patients or staff/ other students was unprofessional (n=117, 76% and n=124, 80%, respectively).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data
    § Results

    Twitter was the most common platform to be openly accessible to all (n=41, 42% of Twitter users had open profiles).

    “Twitter was the most common platform to be openly accessible to all (n=41, 42% of Twitter users had open profiles).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data
    § Results

    89% of students used their real name on Facebook.

    “The majority of students in the study reported using their real name on social platforms Facebook (n=138/155, 89%), Twitter (n=70/155, 45%) and Instagram (n=84/155, 54%).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims. 9
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 2
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 7

  • May combine two claims. The quote only partly states this claim.

    Findingown data
    § Results

    Few students admitted to interacting with patients via social media (1%) or making negative comments (1%), but many more had witnessed these behaviours online (12% and 19% respectively).

    “While few admitted to these behaviours, many more reported having witnessed these behaviours online (n=18, 12% and n=30, 19% respectively).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data
    § Results

    Twitter was the least popular platform with half of all students using the platform.

    “Twitter was the least popular platform with half of all students using the platform.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data
    § Results

    Facebook was the most commonly used and most regularly used social media platform among dental students (n=153, 98.9%).

    “Facebook was the most commonly used and was also the most regularly used of the platforms (n=153, 98.9%, Table 1).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationreasoning
    § Abstract

    There are opportunities to reduce these risks through training to help students manage these risks.

    “This suggests that there are opportunities to reduce these risks through training to help students manage these risks.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Training can reduce the risks of unprofessional social media behaviour among dental students.

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning
    § Discussion

    This study was limited to a single dental School with training for students in this topic area, which may also limit the generalizability of the findings.

    “This study was also limited to a single dental School with training for students in this topic area, which may also limit the generalizability of the findings.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductreasoning
    § Discussion

    Bias may have arisen because of social acceptability and reporting bias.

    “These are sensitive and important issues with implications for fitness to practise as students and whilst data collection was anonymous, bias may have arisen because of social acceptability and reporting bias.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning
    § Conclusion

    This study highlights the need for social media training for all dental undergraduates, as social media use is widespread.

    “This study highlights the need for social media training for all dental undergraduates, as social media use is widespread.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Training can reduce the risks of unprofessional social media behaviour among dental students.

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data
    § Results

    A total of 155 responses were received, a 90% response rate from the total cohort of 172 students.

    “A total of 155 responses were received; a 90% response rate from the total cohort of 172 students.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • The quote only partly states this claim.

    Interpretationown data
    § Abstract

    Dental students use social media extensively.

    “Students use social media extensively.”
    • Also stated in: § Conclusion · plain
      “In conclusion this study found widespread use of social media amongst students”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given
    § Methods

    Data entry was verified at a later date by the same researcher.

    “Each questionnaire was numbered and data entry was verified at a later date by the same researcher.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation
    § Discussion

    The GDC has set out guidance for the use of social media and digital professionalism applies to all dental professionals.

    “The GDC has set out guidance for the use of social media and digital professionalism applies to all dental professionals.16”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [16] General Dental Council. Guidance on using social media. GDC. http://www.gdc-uk.org/Dentalprofessionals/Standards/Documents/Guidance%20on%20using%20social%20media.pdf (accessed September 2016).

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning
    § Discussion

    This study was a single point in time and relied on self-report and recall.

    “This was a single point in time and relied on self-report and recall.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given
    § Methods

    The questionnaire was piloted for relevance and face validity prior to distribution.

    “The questionnaire was piloted for relevance and face validity prior to distribution.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning
    § Conclusion

    This suggests that some dental students may not be behaving appropriately on social media and may be putting their career at risk.

    “This suggests that some dental students may not be behaving appropriately on social media and may be putting their career at risk.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationreasoning
    § Discussion

    This feeling of safety in closed groups may increase the amount of information disclosed and shared.

    “This feeling of safety in closed groups may increase the amount of information disclosed and shared”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
15 of 15

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Training can reduce the risks of unprofessional social media behaviour among dental students.

    “This suggests that there are opportunities to reduce these risks through training to help students manage these risks.”
1 of 1

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • In 2 studies, the vast majority of health care professionals used their own names on Facebook.

    “Use of real names was investigated in 2 studies; in both, the vast majority of HCPs used their own names on Facebook [51,117]”

    From Dangers and Benefits of Social Media on E-Professionalism of Health Care Professionals: Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [51]

    The Results (p. 8) report that 138 of 155 dental students (89%) used their real names on Facebook, supporting the ‘vast majority’ finding for this study. The participants were dental students, not health care professionals generally, and this source establishes only one of the two cited studies. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Potential damage to professional image has been depicted by students as concerns about repercussions of their posts on career development or future employment, since employers are checking social media profiles of candidates.

    “Potential damage to the professional image has been depicted by students as concerns about repercussions of their posts on career development or future employment, since employers are checking SM profiles of candidates [43, 45, 51, 56, 57, 59, 66, 68, 70].”

    From Dangers and Benefits of Social Media on E-Professionalism of Health Care Professionals: Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [51]

    The Results (p. 8) say half the dental students were concerned about student social-media content, and the Discussion (p. 11) says students knew their profiles could affect their fitness to practise. The Introduction (p. 4) reports that pharmacy students had posted content they would not want future employers to see. The paper does not say that employers check candidates’ profiles or establish that this is why the dental students were concerned about future employment. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Loosening accountability is a danger to e-professionalism from two points of view: eroding public trust by providing poor quality of information on social media and damaging the professional image.

    “According to some studies in this review, loosening accountability can be seen as a danger to e-professionalism from two points of view: eroding public trust by providing poor quality of information on SM [39,106,117] and damaging to the professional image [43, 45, 51, 56, 57, 59, 64, 66, 68, 70, 73, 102, 106, 112].”

    From Dangers and Benefits of Social Media on E-Professionalism of Health Care Professionals: Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [51]

    The Introduction (p. 3) says social-media content can create professional and ethical challenges, potentially harm the dentist–patient relationship, and affect trust. The Conclusion (p. 14) says inappropriate online behaviour may put dental students’ careers at risk. The paper does not link poor-quality information posted on social media to erosion of public trust, so it supports only the professional-image side of the claim. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • 25% of dental students had unprofessional photographs on their profile including alcohol and different levels of nudity.

    “In Kenny and Johnson’s [51] study among dental students, 34% had questionable content on their profile, while 3% had definite violations of professionalism on their profile and 25% had unprofessional photographs on their profile including alcohol and different levels of nudity.”

    From Dangers and Benefits of Social Media on E-Professionalism of Health Care Professionals: Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [51]

    The Results and Table 2 (pp. 9–10) report that 55% of respondents had posted photographs of students drinking alcohol and 29% had posted photographs of intoxicated students. The paper therefore supports the general point about alcohol-related photographs, but not the claimed 25% figure or the reference to nudity. The cited passages also do not substantiate the sentence’s 34% and 3% profile-content figures. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Loosening accountability is a danger to e-professionalism from two points of view: eroding public trust by providing poor quality information on social media and damage to professional image.

    “According to some studies in this review, loosening accountability can be seen as a danger on e-professionalism from two points of view, eroding public trust by providing poor quality of information on SM [39,106,117] and damage to professional image [43, 45, 51, 56, 57, 59, 64, 66, 68, 70, 73, 102, 106, 112].”

    From Dangers and Benefits of Social Media on E-Professionalism of Health Care Professionals: Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [51]

    The Introduction (p. 3) says social-media content can create professional and ethical challenges, potentially harm the dentist–patient relationship, and affect the trust that professional conduct should sustain. The Conclusion (p. 14) also warns that inappropriate online behaviour may put dental students’ careers at risk. These passages support the concern about professional image, but they do not say that poor-quality information posted on social media erodes public trust. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Discussion calls posting drinking photographs rare despite a majority reporting it

    Major

    The discussion includes posting photographs of students drinking alcohol among behaviours that few students admitted to, but the results say 85 students (55%) had done so.

  • Clinical-setting photograph exposure percentage does not match its count

    Minor

    Table 2 reports 131 students as having seen this behaviour. Out of 155 students, that is about 85%, not 86%.

    Reported 86 · recomputed 84.516129

  • Percentage identifying as dental students on Twitter is inconsistent

    Minor

    The other percentages in this sentence use the full sample of 155. On that basis, 12 students is about 8%, not 13%; even among the 79 Twitter users in Table 1, it is about 15%.

    Reported 13 · recomputed 7.741935

3 of 3

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Oxford University. Social media definition. Oxford University Press. Available online at http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/social-media (accessed March 2016).

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Kenny, P., & Johnson, I. G.
Affiliations
Cardiff University (GB)
Corresponding author
Johnson, I. G.
ORCID
Johnson, I. G.
Venue
British Dental Journal
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2016-11
Volume
221
Issue
10
Pages
651-655
ISSN
  • 0007-0610 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-5373
DOI
10.1038/sj.bdj.2016.864
OpenAlex
W2550983269
Semantic Scholar
2606fbd4c8385ae1786ded6a3412e0801b5ab396
Cited by
89
References
24
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 5
FWCI
5.28
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • BDJ (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (acceptedVersion)
  • ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Social Media in Health Education
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Dental Education, Practice, Research
Keywords
social media use, dental students, online professionalism, professional conduct, confidentiality, security settings, professional training
MeSH terms
Professionalism, Attitude, Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, Students, Dental, Social Media

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Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

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