I work as a social counselor in the substance detoxification unit within Siun Sote’s substance abuse social work team. My employer has very strict guidelines about which applications we can use in our work. For example, WhatsApp is prohibited, even though it would likely be the most reliable communication channel for our clients. We use Microsoft packages, and the available programs are defined accordingly. Therefore, no social media channels are used in our professional work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My clients are adults, and their lives are typically characterized by an accumulation of challenges. They face difficulties accessing and using services, including digital ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
IF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS WERE ALLOWED\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The five channels I selected as potential tools are LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, DeepL, and Asana. I tried to base my choices on what would not compromise security or violate employer-imposed restrictions. However, in practice, I know that none of these applications would be allowed to be installed on work devices. This task is therefore purely imaginative and based on hypothetical thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LinkedIn<\/strong> TikTok<\/strong> Dr. Atte Virolainen has done an outstanding job in recent years spreading awareness via social media, and it seems he has earned his place in many young people\u2019s lives. I would gladly share Atte’s wisdom on my social media channels, as his insights are factual and highly up-to-date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instagram<\/strong> I particularly like the “Stories” feature, which allows updates about current issues, while permanent posts could be used for more long-term information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n *****<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, both Instagram and TikTok direct messaging pose challenges. If a messaging option is available, it is highly likely that clients without phone credit would reach out to their workers via private messages. For this reason, the accounts could not be personal but should represent a team of workers. I am also unsure whether it is possible to entirely disable private messages on these platforms or if each message sender would need to be blocked individually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DeepL<\/strong> Asana<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Self-evaluation<\/strong> One slightly overwhelming aspect was that many apps immediately expected me to log in and create an account upon visiting their site. Because of this, I looked up additional information about some apps through Google instead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I work as a social counselor in the substance detoxification unit within Siun Sote’s substance abuse social work team. My employer has very strict guidelines about which applications we can use in our work. For example, WhatsApp is prohibited, even […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11143,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-55","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","clearfix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogi.savonia.fi\/hagis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/55","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogi.savonia.fi\/hagis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogi.savonia.fi\/hagis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.savonia.fi\/hagis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11143"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.savonia.fi\/hagis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.savonia.fi\/hagis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/55\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73,"href":"https:\/\/blogi.savonia.fi\/hagis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/55\/revisions\/73"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogi.savonia.fi\/hagis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
I created a LinkedIn account about ten years ago, back when it was perhaps more of a corporate-oriented platform. I would use LinkedIn solely for networking. Nowadays, I see it as not only a tool for connecting with national professionals but also as an excellent way to gain professional visibility, especially when looking for other job opportunities. Networking is crucial in today\u2019s world, and I think LinkedIn is one of the most understated platforms for this purpose. Inspired by this course, I revisited my long-neglected LinkedIn profile and updated some information. I must admit, though, that I regretted it a bit as I soon started receiving all kinds of spam emails from people I might not want to connect with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a client perspective, social media channels should be as widely used as possible. Finland ranks as the leading European country in drug-related deaths among people under 25, and TikTok would be the most effective platform for reaching young people with information. This platform could work excellently as a channel for sharing tips on how to seek help and access it smoothly. It could also provide real-time information about drug-related dangers, low-threshold services, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alongside TikTok, Instagram would be a great communication channel aimed at adults. It is the only platform I use personally in my free time, and I follow several public organizations there. Instagram could disseminate general information about substance abuse and addiction, as well as provide updates about local events. For example, it could share information about services like Vinkki, free meal opportunities, and the work of Siniristi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DeepL could be a helpful tool for working with foreign clients by translating all necessary forms and essential texts into the client\u2019s native language. In practice, obtaining interpreter services in everyday work can sometimes be difficult, and various translation tools become invaluable, especially when completing forms. However, the more comprehensive version, DeepL Pro, is paid, which poses a challenge. For this reason, I wondered how much better DeepL is compared to, for example, Google Translate?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For project management among employees, I chose Asana. It seemed like a promising tool for various development tasks, as the information would be accessible to everyone, and ideas and notes could be saved in the app as they are created. This would be particularly important when not everyone is online, and responsibilities are shared. Often, note-taking is a weak area, and this app could address that issue. Asana\u2019s interface and tools look functional, and I would like to try it in real-life scenarios someday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Completing this task felt a bit odd. Even in my personal life, I am a relatively lazy social media user, and as I mentioned at the beginning, it is impossible to install any apps on work devices due to employer-imposed restrictions. I approached this task entirely from a “what if” perspective, considering what might be beneficial. Given that I admit to being a lazy social media user, it is evident that the task list felt quite long! However, there were some interesting discoveries among the suggested apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n