My experiences with digitalization so far are very diverse. When I was a child, computers were not, so to speak, devices in every home. Our first computer was black and white and the only game was pacman. We have come a long way since those days!

Traditional pencil and paper were used in studies after elementary school. The books were also books, not e-books. In the early days of my working career, pen and paper were used. When children was arriving at the daycare center we marked that on a paper/booklet, as well as being acknowledged as having gone home. Today, it all works with a phone application and papers are hardly used, because almost everything works through a computer.

Today’s digitalization makes a lot possible.

If I think what it makes possible, we are talking about several things. I live in Lappeenranta and study in Kuopio. I have a family and children at home, so constantly being away from home is not possible. So studying by remote connection is making life easier. I work in foster care for child protection in three shifts and I also work long hours. After long working days there are long days off, when I study. Digitization has made my studies possible, because I can study completely remotely.

How does digitization show up at work today?

Allmost everything is on the computer. Daily entries and other reporting, e.g. e-mails, are on the computer, or phone applications. In work, employees are often trained via computer in Teams. We hold meetings in Teams. Working is easier and faster thanks to digitalization.

I believe that digitization will be used even more in the future. During and after Covid, people are braver to keep in touch through Teams, for example.

GDPR

GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation, is an EU regulation that entered into force in May 2018. GDPR regulates the processing of personal data in the European Union. In Finland, this regulation is supplemented by e.g. The Data Protection Act and the Act on the Protection of Privacy in Working Life.

Today, with the development of digitalization, people are very aware of their own personal data and the related risks and rights. Digitization has increased awareness and understanding of the number of risks. Data protection issues are a really important matter, also according to the law. In my own work in child protection, the children’s personal matters and information are all on the computer and thus also online. If the organization and the employees did not handle data protection matters properly, it would cause serious risks and damage.

The employees are each responsible for their part in ensuring that the personal information and matters of children and families remain private and safe. The risks brought by digitization at work are big. For example, e-mails containing important information should be sent encrypted so that it is not possible for an outsider to obtain their information.

According to the legislation, matters related to the processing of personal data include: which personal data is processed in different functions and systems?, Where is the personal data located?, How long can personal data be processed?, How are people’s rights to their own personal data properly taken care of?, How is personal data properly protected? I selected these points mentioned above as examples, which are strongly related to my own work as things to consider.

ChatGPT

It was very interesting to chat with ChatGPT. Actually wow! Dinn’t have an idea it could be so usefull. I did asked few different ways, how I could use ChatGPT in my work at child protection. I think ChatGPT answers was pretty correct and it answers was more I could think it would be. ChatGPT did give answers example on improving work well-being and stress management even I didn’t ask directly from that.

ChatGPT tells me many thing how I could use Chat to help me with my work. For example I can use Chat GPT to search current information, legislation and practices related to child protection. I can also fin scientific articles and research on child protection topics. With ChatGPT I can find educational and learning materials related to child protection. I can also practice different scenarios by simulating conversations with ChatGPT. ChatGPT can help me write and format reports, memos and other documents. It can also help me with language maintenance and checking the text. With ChatGPT i can also find ideas and solutions. Example advice and recommendations for supporting families, crisis management or multi-professional cooperation. ChatGPT can provide ideas and tips for effective communication with children, young people and families. I can also practice interaction situations with ChatGPT. From ChatGPT I can get advice on improving work well-being and stress management. I can also get tips to support myself and my colleagues to cope.

In the end, ChatGPT reminds that it is only a tool and the information and advice it provides should always be checked and applied with care. It also says, that in child welfare work decisions and measures are based on multidisciplinary expertise and cooperation, so using ChatGPT should be to support that process, not to replace people’s expertise and judgment.

I think that I have learn a lot about this section. This was new and I really didn’t think, that some ChatBot sould really be so usefull. I do think, that I could use it with my working, to get ideas example.