Is Social.media a Boon or a curse?

  

       Social media has become a part and parcel of everybody's life.Be it a Doctor or any other profession everyone is using it. Happy faces, fulfilled lives and successful professions are showcased on social media on varied platforms.

      There are many benefits of using social media to market one's profession. It gives a ready platform for people to showcase their skills from the comfort of their home or office. Hence it is not surprising to see celebrities, artists,musicians , businessmen, and also doctors use the social media platforms to market their profession. Instagram algorithm requires a user to regularly post reels and stories on their insta handle. A couple of hours are easily spent each day to create a reel with good lighting and then subsequently post it after applying filters and editing.

     Social media also helps to connect with peer groups residing anywhere in the world. The world has become a smaller place post COVID pandemic due to the maximum utilisation of these platforms. Some of the Physicians, academicians , researchers are available on social media and post reels regularly. Hence learning and knowledge acquisition has become easier.

       For people from my generation,  professional practice of a Doctor started in the traditional way and then social media came by. So, we had to learn how to use social media to reach out to people for professional gains. On occasions we also had to slowly detach from social media to focus more on our practice. 

     Students and youngsters whose whole life is all about social media, I wonder whether they will know any life outside of it.From using  filters, to edit the pics and videos, everyone's life looks hunky dory.It's hard to believe what is true and what is fake in such a superficial world.This fierce competition to be better from the peers ,drowns the youngsters into  depression.

    Even though there are so many advantages to using AI and social media , the perils are also many.

    It is not just students , professionals are also getting influenced by social media. In an attempt to be a part of the rat race , daily  reels and insta stories are created and posted simultaneously.Doctors have become singers and performers.They are lauded for their skill to vaccinate the baby and sing at the same time. Once, I was taken back when I saw a reel where a Doctor was making weird hand gestures. To my amazement and dismay, pictures started popping up after these gestures. It was only after I had watched a couple of reels I could understand what the doctors were trying to express.In a futile attempt to showcase the practices and specialities of their clinic, these doctors were reduced to clowns.

      The trend at present is to be an influencer by increasing the number of followers. The gimmick is to be an insta influencer and content creator on social media.With editing pics and creating reels I doubt  there will be hardly any time for actual practice for a Doctor .The previous traditional way of Doctors practice is being replaced by insta Doctors ,who can act and create drama at the same time. This new trend of being an  insta influencer, content creator gives a false hope to new doctors entering the profession. They expect a rise in the number of patients within a few months into practice. Instead, they are faced with the harsh reality. This causes anxiety and pushes them into depression.

      Success needs hardwork and perseverance. if one utilises the time to create reels and stories ,then when will they have time for actual practice. Experience and confidence can only be gained by treating hundreds and thousands of patients.

   Social media has many advantages too. It can be used as a secondary tool to reach out to the patients. Posting reels and stories related to one' s profession helps us to showcase our skill and also be in touch with the newer generation of patients and colleagues. Anything new can be hazardous or beneficial. It is up to us how much we weigh the pros and cons and utilise it for our benefit.

     Too much of anything is too bad. At present I feel Social media should be consumed like medicine. Small quantity and only when required. This will keep us mentally and physically healthy .Only time will tell whether inculcating social media into practice is the right way while treating  patients. We will have to wait and see.

Principles for powerful Presentation.

 As Doctors , Academicians , researchers and medical students, we have to frequently present in front  of an audience. It is a skill to keep the audience captivated  and enthralled with our presentation.  Matt Abrahams , Professor at Stanford graduate school of Business school, explains four powerful rules to be followed for better communication. The four rules are concise, relevance, accessible and precision.I would go further and say  that the slides of presentation should be minimum, each slide should show only the necessary points under the bullet marking and the slides should be attractive. Certain design templates can be used to make the slides attractive and captivating to the audience. The 4 important rules  to be considered during a communication/presentation are as follows.

1. Concise: As a presenter ,we should provide the least amount of information which needs to  be shared with the audience to get the msg across. E g Billboard essence.On a billboard ,only a few points are highlighted to attract the audience and pass the msg. Similarly use a few words and  explain the essential idea first and then follow it up with related information of the presentation. This way, your audience is not bored and is hooked to the presentation.

2. Relevance: The msg should be relevant and important for the audience. As an expert we might have a lot of information to share with the audience. But keeping it relevant will help the audience to focus on the presentation. It is also important to add emotion while communicating. This  helps to restore the memory longer in the audience. This can be done by engaging  the audience by involving them in the story. These are the various methods by which we can keep the interest of the audience.

3. Accessibility: The research information can be complex with scientific words. This language may not be accessible to the audience. Therefore we have to sympathise with the audience and use simpler terms which the audience can understand and relate to.

Translate the information. Take complex knowledge and make it simple by using relatable analogies. Also, deconstruct the complex knowledge by using infographics and videos during the presentation.

4. Precision: targeting the msg. We have to make sure that  we have explained the  clear goal. Set  expectations i.e objectives at the beginning of the presentation or communication , so the audience has an idea about the presentation. Give structure to your presentation. And at the end clearly state your goals so that it  can conclude your presentation well.During the presentation ,get the audience involved and engage them in the presentation. This will keep the lecture lively and will keep the audience hooked to the presentation.

         Now I will address the most important question. How to.select a topic ? The topic depends on its relevance to the audience. For an undergraduate or a postgraduate the topic is different than while giving lectures to medical officers or teachers. Also discuss with the organizers the theme of the seminar or CME. This will help you in finalizing the area  e.g which system you need to present. So, depending on the lacuna of the knowledge of the listeners you have to select the topic.Gauge the audience 's knowledge before giving the lecture. 

During your initial presentations,show your slides to your teacher / mentor and ask their advice. Also present it in front of a small peer group. A practice that I follow in our department is that, our PG students have to present 2-3 times in the department in front of teachers and friends. We , teachers advise changes to the presentation which the students incorporate. We check the following points- duration of the presentation, stance of the presenter, audibility, content of presentation, introduction and conclusion,design of the slides and the most important grammar.

Conclusion: The above 4 rules have to be kept in mind while preparing the slides and presenting in front of an audience. To be good at anything one needs practice. Even though the initial couple of presentations may seem challenging , with practice one can be an expert at presenting.