DIGI CITIZEN

KELA
I have three school-age children and they receive child benefit every month. Once child benefit has been granted, there is no need to renew the application, so this does not require any action in Kela. My youngest child is in the third grade at school. Last year I took advantage of the flexible childcare allowance, which means that I worked part-time and received a benefit from Kela, which is paid to a parent of a first or second-grade child who works part-time. When my children were younger, I had to go to Kela more often. As a student of university of applied sciences, I am required to pay a healthcare fee to KELA. I think that paying this fee should be voluntary, depending on whether or not you want to use the student’s health services. However, many adult students are covered by occupational health care. Currently, I am not able to work due to an arm injury and an operation. If you are unable to work, you are entitled to sickness allowances from Kela. It is possible to receive sickness allowance for up to 300 working days, i.e. for a period of one year.

MyKanta
I use the Mykanta site at least monthly. I find the site easy to use and it is easy to log in with a mobile certificate. The website sometimes has problems and slowness, but its functionality has improved in recent years. I go to Mykanta to see my health records and prescription information. It is also possible to renew prescriptions through Mykanta. I am not used to using this service myself, because I find it easier to do this directly via the occupational health service. I can also view my children’s prescriptions and medical records in Mykanta. You can use Mykanta on behalf of your child until they turn 18, which is useful. If a child is found to be competent to make a decision at a healthcare visit, he or she can control what information the guardian can see in Mykanta.

KEVA
According to Keva’s pension calculator, my minimum retirement age is 66 years and 5 months. So, according to the calculator, I will retire in 2042. If I were to continue working for, say, two years longer, my pension would be considerably higher. According to the pension calculator, I will not be able to get a retirement pension at the age of 63, so the amount of the pension cannot be calculated either.

Shopping Online
I do most of my shopping online. I usually use the company’s own website. For example, I book a hotel on the Scandic or S-hotel website. I have compared prices for flights and hotels using booking.com and trivago. I have not noticed a significant difference in prices because I get good deals as a frequent customer directly from the service provider. If I were booking a hotel abroad, I could imagine using Booking.com, for example. I have never shopped on Amazon or eBay. I don’t think these sites are clear. It is more difficult to compare prices because they are not in euros, and there can be extra charges for purchases depending on where you order the product from. I would think that ordering from Amazon and eBay online store is quite reliable nowadays. If there is a fault with a product, it is likely to be more difficult to find out because you have to contact customer support in the country where the purchase was made. I usually shop at the same online stores, so they have become familiar and I trust their service. The online shops I use usually accept payment by invoice, which makes it easier to return the product because it has not yet been paid for.

Terveystalo application
I chose the Terveystalo app as the app related to my field, because my own occupational health care is at Terveystalo and I have used the app. I find the Terveystalo app easy to use and functional. It is not possible to perform all the functions through the app. For example, if you want to send messages to your own occupational health team, you have to log in to the Terveystalo website and authenticate strongly. It is also not possible to make all your appointments via the app. You can log in to the app with your fingerprint ID, which is handy The app allows you to see your records, test results and vaccinations, for example.

Digitalization and digital gap
There are still people who are unable or unwilling to use digital services. For these people, making a health appointment can be more difficult than for others. For example, in Wellbeing services county of mine it is difficult to make an appointment with a doctor by phone. When you call for an appointment, the recording recommends you do a symptom assessment in the app. Once you have completed the symptom assessment in the app, you will be contacted by the health service if necessary. In the past it was possible to ask to call back, nowadays you have to wait on the line to be answered, this can take a surprisingly long time. Not everyone has a relative or other person who can help with things like filling in benefit claims. There are also elderly people who, as a matter of principle, do not want to use digital services, even if they could. There should be more and more visible digital support and advice. For example, if a person with memory problems is unable to use digital services and has no family member who can help, there should be a support person readily available who can help. There are people in my own circle who do not own a computer or smartphone. If they wanted to, they could get one and learn how to use it. Today, learning to use a computer and a smartphone is easier because simpler and easier to use devices have been designed. The features of the devices have also taken into account if you have some limitations such as poor eyesight.

Digital Competence Test
I took a digital competence test. It was surprisingly difficult to assess your own digital skills.

Self evaluation
In doing this assignment, I reflected on my own digital skills. I know the basics well, and my own studies have given me more skills. However, based on the Digital Competence Test, there are still many areas where I could improve. This task was a collection of things that I have studied in my field of education. The English vocabulary in this area of competence was expanded. It was interesting to read other students’ blogs on this topic. It was particularly interesting to read about applications that other students had chosen for the assignment.

Comment for Maarit Holopainen’s site:
It was interesting to read your blog. Your blog has a clear layout because you have structured things visibly. I have completed some courses on the eOppiva learning platform for a previous employer. At the moment I do not have any login to access the learning platform. However, the podcasts are available to listen to and I found many interesting topics.

Comment for Irina Huotari’s site
Thank you for your interesting blog. You are right that digitalisation can cause inequalities between people. I think there is a possibility to influence more the digital literacy of citizens and their willingness to use digital services. The issue could be highlighted more prominently in the press and on television. This could influence people’s attitudes. There should be access to personalised support and assistance in using computers, smartphones and digital services. If you are in employment, it is certainly necessary to learn basic digital skills. People who have been out of work for a long time may not have digital skills at all.

Comment for Jaana Jauhiainen’ site
You have written interestingly on the topic of digi citizen. You are right that people who do not use virtual services may miss out on social interaction. On the other hand, there are people who, for whatever reason, do not want to use social media, for example, even if they have the skills to do so. I know people who intentionally do this, even though they are otherwise very social in their lives. I agree that if you are excluded from all the information on the Internet, you are not as informed and up to date as people who read the news on the Internet, for example. Nowadays, it is still somewhat possible to do banking without the Internet, but this is becoming more and more difficult. Of course, those who have to travel a long way to the bank have particular problems.