{"id":7,"date":"2026-03-13T21:48:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T19:48:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogi.savonia.fi\/ainomarku\/?page_id=7"},"modified":"2026-03-28T16:31:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T14:31:26","slug":"digi-society","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogi.savonia.fi\/ainomarku\/digi-society\/","title":{"rendered":"DIGI SOCIETY"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Digitalisation in my field of expertise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I work as an outreach youth worker. Outreach youth work is part of the youth sector, but the work itself is very close to the service guidance of social services. The digitalization of the social sector lags behind other social and health sectors (Pennanen et al. 2023, 20\u201324) and one slowing factor is the skepticism of social workers towards the digitalization of personnel (Kivist\u00f6 2017, 24). The corona pandemic accelerated development and with it the methods of contact and the methods of organizing meetings became more diverse. However, in social work there are still not nearly the same opportunities to do business remotely as in healthcare. With the reform of social and health services, the digitalization of the social sector can take new leaps, when a larger operator is responsible for organizing services than before and investments are made for a wider group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digitalization is used more widely in the youth sector and is also visible in outreach youth work. In the youth sector, employees have a positive attitude towards digitalization (Verke 2021, 12). Youth workers want to keep up with digital development and understand the digital culture of young people. Face-to-face and digital encounters are perceived as equally meaningful. (Verke 2021, 12.) Social media applications, such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook, are widely used in digital youth work. Digital games are also used as part of youth work. (Verke 2021, 14.) In the social sector, the use of various applications is viewed more strictly. Official electronic channels are used for communication between different professionals, but there are few or no official options between the employee and the client. Information security must be taken into account in communication, and social media channels, for example, are not recommended for use, although they are still used in social services (Zhu & Andersen 2022, 831). In youth work, digital forms of work are used most often for keeping in touch, advertising activities and for bilateral guidance discussions (Verke 2021, 18). In social services, digital solutions are also used for keeping in touch and conducting client meetings (Mishna et al. 2021, 487). In the social sector, digitality is also particularly visible in the use of client information systems (Saukkonen et al. 2024, 1470).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public services, such as social services and municipal youth work, are expected to improve their efficiency and save costs. Digitalisation and artificial intelligence are expected to help in this regard if artificial intelligence and digital service paths are used in some of the tasks. (Dufva et al. 2026, 57.) The use of artificial intelligence in the municipal sector is most visible in the support of office work, but its potential could be exploited more. Although digitalisation is generally viewed positively in the youth sector, artificial intelligence solutions are not seen to bring significant added benefit to youth work (Kuntaliitto 2024, paragraph 10). Even if artificial intelligence does not bring added benefit to the core task of youth work, the theme must still be present in the work. Youth work is educational work and it is also the task of youth work to support young people in an environment shaped by artificial intelligence. Young people need to understand, for example, the algorithms behind social media so that they can critically evaluate information coming through different channels (Alastalo 2025, 62).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The risks of open digital society<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The social sector processes sensitive customer data and the processing of customer data is strictly regulated. The same regulations also apply to customer data in outreach youth work. The processing of customer data must take into account the EU General Data Protection Reform, but in addition, there are national regulations in several acts, such as the Social Welfare Act, the Act on the Electronic Processing of Customer Data in Social Welfare and Health Care, the Act on Customer Documents in Social Welfare and the Act on the Status and Rights of Customers in Social Welfare (Tietosuojavaltuutetun toimisto 2022, 7). Data protection and data security must be taken seriously. Data security risks have always existed, but digitalization has made it possible for data to be widely disseminated. The most shocking example is the Vastaamo data breach, where confidential patient and personal data was disseminated online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data protection and the processing of personal data have always been approached with care in the social sector due to the sensitivity of the data. The EU Data Protection Reform did not bring major changes to the work of workers. The regulation has paid more attention to what data is really necessary to keep and, for example, unnecessary paper archives have disappeared from offices. Data is not stored in multiple places unnecessarily and this can also make employees’ work easier. Customers are also now better informed about the storage of data and it is explained more precisely than before what information is stored and for what purpose. From the customer’s perspective, the Data Protection Reform has been able to increase awareness that the customer has the right to their own data and lower the threshold for asking to see their own data or to ask to have something deleted. Today, a lot of attention is also paid to which parties can see the customer’s data. Electronic systems allow for precise restrictions on viewing data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to its educational nature, youth work also emphasizes the responsibility of guiding young people to act safely in digital environments. It is good for young people to understand what data different platforms collect, what is done with the data and what kind of information about themselves is worth sharing (Verke 2024). It is also good for young people to recognize the impact of algorithms on the content of applications and the content created by artificial intelligence in social media (Alastalo 2025, 12, 14). The EU Artificial Intelligence Regulation entered into force in 2024 and its implementation will be implemented gradually (TEM nd). The purpose of the regulation is to create uniform rules and thus promote the safe and sustainable development and use of artificial intelligence (Euroopan parlamentin ja neuvoston asetus (EU) 2024\/1689, paragraph 8). The regulation also highlights the rights and safety of children in the digital environment (Euroopan parlamentin ja neuvoston asetus (EU) 2024\/1689, paragraph 48). In addition to data protection risks, children and young people are at particular risk of encountering harmful content, receiving harmful contacts or seeing false content in digital environments. Children and young people also do not necessarily have an understanding of where their own information and images may end up. (Kalliokoski et al. 2021, 7.) Adults do not automatically have these skills either, and it is therefore important that youth workers know how to guide young people on how to act safely in digital environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Chat GPT thinks about outreach youth work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked \u201cWhat does outreach youth work do?\u201d and Chat GPT gave a really good answer. The answer was comprehensive and completely truthful. I also asked \u201cWhat kind of cooperation does outreach youth work do with social services?\u201d and Chat GPT was able to answer this excellently. Artificial intelligence applications like Chat GPT can answer many questions well, but it is good for the user to understand something about the subject in order to be able to notice incorrect answers. Artificial intelligence does not learn things on its own, but its creation and learning depend on people (Alastalo 2025, 16). Artificial intelligence is very useful both in everyday life and at work. Artificial intelligence can be used to facilitate many work phases, such as making simple summaries, translating text and general idea generation. Helsingin Sanomat (2026) reported on the banking sector, where artificial intelligence has been used to significantly improve work efficiency. The article also tells an example of an artificial intelligence coach with whom current issues in the field are regularly reviewed (Helsingin Sanomat 2026). In this type of use of artificial intelligence, it is important that the employee has a good professional knowledge base to understand the potential limitations of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the assignment, I realized how different the two worlds are where outreach youthwork works. The youth sector is very interested in digital environments and forms of work, while the social sector’s attitude is more moderate, lagging behind many other sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the issues raised in the assignment had been raised in previous study units, but it is good to recall what was learned earlier. This way, the knowledge can be deepened and learning can be more effective. As a new thing, I got to know the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Regulation in more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the future, I would like to learn more about the use of Big Data in service planning and supporting well-being. I know that it is already being utilized, for example, in municipal welfare work, but I am not sure in what ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commented blogs:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DIGI SOCIETY<\/a><\/blockquote>