Gender differences in internet preferences and usage pattern among medical students

Abstract

Background: Internet began with the development of electronic computers in the 1950s. Internet use is spreading rapidly into daily life, and directly affecting people’s ideas and behavior. With the development of the internet, both male and female users to certain extent are unquestionably dependent on it as a medium of sharing ideas, building communication network as well as for searching information though there is the difference in opinion by some researchers regarding the internet usage among gender. Aims and Objectives: To study the gender differences in internet preferences and usage pattern among medical students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried on 120 1st-year MBBS students at PESIMSR, Kuppam. Data were collected with the help of a questionnaire. Results: The present study observed gender differences in awareness and pattern of internet use among 1st-year MBBS students which are relatively less compared to the previous studies. Conclusion: The internet has become an inseparable part of today’s educational system. The academics of an individual increasingly depend on the internet for educational purposes. Absence of gender gap in internet usage is probably due to both genders having high exposure to the technology through their educational experience.