Kela and OmaKanta

I live alone and at this point I don’t use any services provided by Kela. Before, when I was a student, I got study grant and general housing allowance. My father has already retired, and he gets pension from Kela. I’ve had a European health insurance card for a decade already. 

I accessed OmaKanta through electronic identification by my bank.  I haven’t had to use OmaKanta, but I’ve given permission to share my personal data with other authorities if necessary to make the process as smooth as possible.

Digital shops and a service/application from my own field

In digital shops (eBay and Amazon) you could get the products at least at the same price (even including shipping costs) and often cheaper than from local shops. You can search for some products by manufacturer (country), if the products are refurbished or not and if they are new or used.  

It was really hard to find information about the origin of the product. I could not determine if the sites were reliable or not. I myself don’t really use a lot of websites and never foreign web shops. If I need to buy something online, I use Finnish or maybe European websites, because I estimate that they are more reliable. 

I work in health and social field, but in my work, I don’t use any applications. I do work in rehabilitation and our service providers offer our customers a huge variety of services. There are also countless free services to choose from.  

I myself have used Google Fit now for about a month to track my activity through day and night. I try to use the data I get to stay on track of my health. I find the app good for setting goals and following my process through them. I don’t use the app regularly because I don’t really use my phone that much and often forget it in a different room where I’m at. To me a smart watch would be better because it would always be with me on my wrist and could alert me instantly by vibrating. 

Digitalization and digital gap

I think the biggest challenge for people who don’t use virtual services is that they are going to be left behind in the development of services. Nowadays younger people know very well how to use electronic devices and utilize them. For us, the older generation, this is a challenge, because we haven’t grown up along with the digital revolution.  

I’m afraid that the service providers only see the majority, that can use virtual technology, and forget the rest. This way it gets even harder to take part in society for those older people and those who for some other reason don’t have the opportunity or capability to participate. For those people it gets harder and harder to manage your everyday requirements.  

Digital Competence Test 

I did the Digital Competence Test and the results were more or less what I expected. I had two Digital Competence Areas that stood out for my benefit and two that need a lot of development. I did well on safety and communication. I recognize the laws and guidelines that need to be obeyed and I understand the need to keep an eye on one’s mental and physical health while living in a world surrounded by technology. I’m competent in using technology in teamwork and collaborations and recognize social markers while using digital services.

Production and information are the areas that I need to focus on later if I want to improve my digital competence. I did a little better on information, but I don’t yet have good ability to create digital content or solve digital problems. I also don’t explore or stay in tune with the newest developments in the digital field. 

I feel that the test is correct in where I’m now concerning digitalization. I can manage in work life and know how to use information systems. I’m quick to learn and see digital services as a way forward, but I haven’t had the interest to dive deeper into the digital world. I feel like this course has given me a lot to figure out. I need to think what role I want to take in a digital world and how much I want to learn and understand about it. 

Self-reflection

This digi citizen task made me think about what kind of digi citizen am I. I hadn’t realized that maybe the uncertainty concerning digitalization is the reason why I haven’t had interest in it before. I like to keep my finger on the pulse on what’s happening in the world, but because I’ve never gotten that much guidance on how digital and virtual services are functioning, I’ve been pretty unsure to widen my perspective. 

I’ve been aware how e.g. older people have been in distress because most of the services have been directed to digital form. I haven’t really considered if the pace will at some point be too fast for younger people also. Do we have enough education and guidance to make the world mainly run by digital services? Have we considered all the security risks that insufficient preparation might bring?