My experience with digitalization
I was born in 1979. When I was a kid, we had a TV and a landline. I remember when I used to watch videos and play Nintendo sometimes. Life was totally different. I was 18, when I got my first mobile phone, it was Nokia. I started midwifery studies in 1998. I remember the first computer and memory-stics, studying was different then. When I started working as a midwife, we wrote on paper. There was a partogram, where the progress of labor was written. In addition, other nursing work was recorded on paper. Only laboratory tests were ordered on a computer and there was some kind of birth information system.
Today, digitalization can be seen in nursing work. I am old fashioned and change has not been easy for me. Fortunately, my work requires a lot of hands, interaction and heart. When the baby wants to be born, at that moment the midwife only needs her hands. Papers are hardly used anymore, nursing work is recorded entirely on the computer. Previously, fetal cardiotocography could only be monitored in the delivery room. Today there is the ISP-login system, that saves the data and fetal heart rate can be viewed in other rooms as well. The wireless KTG-system allows a pregnant woman to be in the water pool.
The corona pandemic brought a lot of changes to everyday life. My children attended distance school and Teams-connections became familiar. My sons have grown up in the middle of digitalization, unlike me. I´m slow to learn. I have learned many digital skills from my husband and sons. I use the Teams-connection in my work and studies. Work supervision and sexual therapy contacts are also possible with Teams.
Digitalization has changed the world and digital skills are needed more and more. Digitalization will become visible in medicine and, for example, robotic gynecological surgeries have increased. I´m many steps behind digitalization, but so far I´m doing moderately well.
Digitalization – Threat or Opportunity
I have always been careful about my privacy. That´s why I don´t use Instagram, Facebook, TikTok etc. I am careful about social media. The worldwide internet network and the benefits brought by digitalization have made life easier. Digitalization gives many new opportunities. On the other hand, we may share a lot about ourselves on social media, visit several internet pages, use e-mail and allow ourselves to be digitalized. As a sexual therapist, I was very worried about the Vastaamo thing in 2020: highly personal and confidential information was leaked to outsiders. This should never happen.
I haven’t heard about GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) until this blog assignment on this course. GDPR is a law regulating the processing of personal data, which began to be applied in all EU countries in the spring of 2018. Data protection rights are a big step in the right direction. The personal data of each of us needs better protection and more ways to control the processing of our data. Any efforts to increase privacy and security are welcome.
Self evaluation
At first I thought this course is too hard for me. The English language and digitalization are both far from me. However, I decided to take up the challenge and I notice how much I learn new things. The orientation materials and videos were interesting. I had no idea what was happening in the world of digitalization right now. It was also rewarding to read other students´ blogs.
Blogs I commented
DIGI SOCIETY: https://blogi.savonia.fi/marihartikainen/digi-society/
DIGI SOCIETY: https://blogi.savonia.fi/jaananblogi/digi-society/
Hi!
Thank you for your text. It was nice to read about your point of view. It was also fun to learn about digital things in your childhood and how the digitalization has changed!
Hello Anu! I loved to read your blog. I´m few years older than you and we have quite a same kind of experiences about digitalization. In our childhood, there was more time to be in nature and play simple games with friends without smartphones.
Hi Anu! Thank’s for your blog 🙂 I’ve been working as a nurse too for a 21 years now and that’s why I could relate to your text very well from the professional point of view. I agree also with you about the GDPR, every attempt to better one’s privacy is welcome. But so far, I think, the actions have been too modest. It feels like the “bad guys” are always a little bit a head of us and find their way to benefit from today’s digital systems. But that’s the name of the game, I guess. Without the errors and failures in security nothing develops forward. Maybe some day the good guys win!
This is actually a nice write up and it actually brought out the fire in me. For long time I have not been able to express it to anyone. We are actually born in the same age bracket in different region with different experience. This is what digitalization has done unite us together and not to forget still detriment to those who are yet to get access to it.
Hi Anu!
You have many same thoughts as I do. I am also very private person, and do not use social media very much. Just like you, I felt that this course is too difficult for me. Not with the English language but the thought, that digitalization does not include in my life so much. However, I noticed, it really does!