DIGI CITIZEN

Currently, I don’t need many services from Kela. I’ve only paid the student healthcare fee. Previously when I studied nursing , I’ve applied for student financial aid and housing allowance through Kela. Kela regularly pays child benefits for underage children, which are automatically deposited into my account. I already have a European Health Insurance Card.

You can access OmaKanta by logging in with online banking credentials. From there, I can view my own health information. I mostly handle my own health matters through occupational healthcare and use the Terveystalo application more often. Through the Terveystalo application, I can book appointments with a doctor, and if necessary, I can also have remote consultations.

I visited Keva’s website for the first time in my life. I was missing some of my own information, so I updated it while I was there. I felt a bit depressed; retirement age is a long way off! There is a significant financial difference between retiring at 63 or 68 years old. Hopefully, I’ll have good health to support me until a later retirement age.

I use digital stores to some extent. I have used Booking.com occasionally for accommodation bookings; I have compared prices on the hotel’s own website beforehand and ended up making the reservation through Booking.com because the price has been more affordable. We have ordered clothes from Zalando, mainly due to its ease of use, selection, and price. I only use reputable platforms for making orders. I admit that sometimes we made a small order from the Shein platform with our teenage children at their request. The orders didn’t fully meet expectations, especially concerning clothing sizes. In connection with this, I also ponder the ethics of ordering. Digital commerce also involves challenges such as cybersecurity issues. I only use well-known online stores so that I can be sure, for example, about the authenticity of the clothing.

I don’t use digital platforms extensively at work. Mielenterveystalo offers self-care programs and symptom questionnaires, which could certainly be beneficial in my own work. There is a lot of information here for professionals and individuals experiencing mental health challenges.

DIGITALIZATION AND DIGITAL GAP

People who do not use digital services are surely at risk of becoming marginalized, which can pose challenges in life. The available services are limited, and the opening hours of agencies and offices have been reduced significantly. If one does not use digital services, they are likely to feel excluded in many different places. It seems to me that every institution nowadays encourages the use of electronic services. Moreover, one may miss out on some opportunities in life if they do not use digital services. Many trainings, for example, are now offered online. On the other hand, there may be some advantages to not using digital services. For instance, it can help maintain physical activity by going out to handle tasks in person. Additionally, it can enhance mental well-being and reduce dependence on technology.

SELF REFLECTION

Without this blog, I wouldn’t have explored KEVA’s website, so that was the biggest thing I learned. Perhaps the topic hasn’t been relevant, and it has just been overlooked; I have certainly looked at the paper pension statement before. I also remembered Mielenterveystalo; I should utilize it more in my work. It was interesting to read others’ posts; many share the same thoughts as me. I found myself pondering how difficult it would be to live without a computer and internet connection in this society, and I briefly thought about, for example, the elderly, how they cope with the challenges of digitalization. I myself do not smoothly use all services electronically, even though I have studied IT skills since junior high school. Here are my results Digital Competense Test. The safety is my priority and in production I have the least expertise.