The Social Insurance Institution of Finland services
Last time I have used the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA) services has been when I have been in a longer sick leave and the compensation was paid by KELA, also when I was on maturnity leave, the payments came from KELA. I have used their online services on those occations. Currently I use KELA services only to receive child benefit. And actually, I had just ordered European health care card for me and my son about a month ago, so that has been taken care of already.
Omakanta
I have used Omakanta.fi service to see both on my own healthcare information and on behalf of my son’s health care information. I access to this service using strong identification using my bank identification service. As I have healthcare in Terveystalo from my employer, I dont usually use Omakanta services. Now in addition to Omakanta, there is this new Maisa service, where I can see more details about my child’s healthcare.
Keva
As Keva in an organization that pays pensios to people who have worked in the public sector, I entered to Työeläke.fi sites and I was directed to Elo services that shows my earliest retirement age is 66 years and I would get then esimated 2311€/month pension. If I would retire at age 68, my pension is estimated to be 2691 €/month.
Digital shops
I currently use almost only digital shops. I usually order food from Prisma to home once a week and only get some minor groceries during the week directly from the shop. My family uses Wolt or Foodora also a few times in a week at least. I order all my kids clothes and shoes from online shops as well as my own clothes and bags, sunglasses, contact linses etc. Klarna has been a great way to pay in online shops, because can pay after you have returned some of the itsems and usually I have to return something. I haven’t ever had any problems with online shopping and it has been safe and reliable.
I have used all Booking.com, eBay, Amazon and Trivago. The thing I like about Trivago and Booking.com is that you can easily see the reviews of the customers and use the reviews as a part of my decision what to book. If you need something special, you can always find that either from eBay or Amazon. The only thing you have take into notice in ordering from these, is what country you are ordering from. If you order from for example US or UK and you need to pay the customs duty in addition and it also takes a few extra days to receive the items as you pay the duties. But you can also choose to use eBay or Amazon from a countrywhere duties are not needed to pay, I usually use Germany, because the selection is large there and you dont need to worry about the duties.
Banks mobile applications
I use three different bank’s mobile applications, S-Bank, Nordea and Osuuspankki. Most of the mobile banking applications are almost the same, you can do easily basic things there concernign accounts, payments, cards, loans and investments. Not all of the services are in the mobile apps yet so I have to use Netbank to do some investing or loan related things.
In S-Mobile I like that there is more than just the banking services in the same app. You can see your S-bonus and discounts from S-Group in same app also. I like that the app is simple, there are not too many options in the main menu. Sometimes as a user I would like to have more possibilieties in mobile app, for example a possibility to sell funds. The point though is that mobile app has to be simple, so you can do the most needed actions there easily. On my own point of view as a user, I would like to choose what are the most important services for me and have those in the application. As in all banking mobile apps the identification that is eiher inside the app or different app, is currently the most used service from the bank. I think I need usually many times in a day to use strong identification from the bank to log in to some other services. S-banks mobile app used to have not so good solution to identification, but now it is improved and currenly the best of the three banks I use. I am looking forward when my son soons turns 12 year and he can get S-Mobile. I like to know how digital-native feels the app and for what purposes he will use it.
Digital gap
I do see a big digital gap between different generations. Easiest is to look it in my own life. My 11-years old child is far more used to digitality, than I am. I still can manage somehow with all new digital services, my 75-year old parents can use easy digital services, but they get fustrated and confused if something is not working as they logic says it should work. It has been a good thing to have this soon-to-be teenager in the house and I am now using even TikTok.
You can choose for most of the digital services if you want to use them or not, like social media, but if some of the essential things are only available digitally, that can be harder for older people. For example health care related services, banking services, taxes etc. I just recently tried to help my dad to digitally upload reports from his sensor that he has for diabetes. He has to upload and send those reports of his diabetes sensor to KYS via digital service. It is hard when older people has to do randomly these kind of things that they are not used to and propably don’t remenmber again next time thay need to do it.
Digital competence test
I did this Digital Competence test that shos that I am stogest at inromations (search, storage) and communication in digital channels. The least points I got in production and safety area. That is true the technical knowledge of digital services is based on the knowledge I have from work and there mobile app is just one of the channels for customer’s where we develop products. Safety is also so large area that I feel I know the basics so I won’t get scammed, but I don’t have any deeper knowledge on that area.
Self-reflection
I had used applications mentioned in this assignment, but the thing I started to think is the digital gap between different generations and not only generations but different groups of people. That is something that hasn’t yet affected to my own life, but that can change when my parents gets older and also I get older and I haven’t been a digi-native all of my life.
DIGI CITIZEN – Anniina´s Blog (savonia.fi)
Hi Mari!
It was nice to read what you have written in this. I can relate in so many things with you. Especially I liked your thoughts about this digital gap. We do not need to look further than our own families to find those gaps between generations.