Social media and networking has been becoming increasingly popular among the Indian youth as well as adolescents. A non-experimental, descriptive survey was done to assess the pattern of use and the effect of online social networking on the student nurses, in a selected college of Nursing in Delhi. 50 student nurses studying in D.G.N.M, B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing and M.Sc. Nursing programmes in Rufaida College of Nursing, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, were selected for the study through systematic random sampling technique. The tool used for the study was semi-structured questionnaire. The data analysis revealed that 50% of students had neutral effect of online social networking on them, that is, on their studies and social relationships. Almost same number, that is, 48% of student nurses had positive effects of online social networking, while only 2% showed negative effects of online social networking.

Keywords: Social media; Online social networking; Effect; Pattern of use; Student nurses.