Digitalisation is already affecting almost every aspect of life, and several functions related to everyday life have become digitalised. Digitalisation brings several benefits and makes life smoother, but it also sets requirements for sufficient digital competence. As digitalisation progresses, it is particularly important to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn digital skills and equal conditions to use digital devices, services and environments to support their own lives as they wish. As the development of digitalisation progresses, it is worth considering what kinds of digital services, environments and usage habits increase well-being and which fstakeholders related to digital in turn weaken well-being. The Northern Ostrobothnia digital well-being and participation development project, which ended at the end of July 2023, has aimed to promote digital well-being, especially taking into account the municipality-based perspective. The project has been based on the objectives of the Regional Programme 2022-2025, and during the project the objectives and partnership promise related to the digital capabilities of the Northern Ostrobothnia Welfare Agreement 2019-2025 have been promoted, to which the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region has committed together in cooperation with the municipalities of the region. The aim of the project has been to study the state and development targets of the region's digital well-being and participation, to plan operating models that promote digital well-being together in cooperation with municipal stakeholders, and to coordinate the activities of the Northern Ostrobothnia digital well-being network. The project's activities have been a natural continuation of previous work related to the development of digital support in the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region, which has been carried out in a multi-actor manner on different service interfaces since 2018. The project has collected information on the needs, strengths and development areas related to digital well-being of different target groups. The collected data will be used in the implementation of the objectives of the regional programme and in the work of various stakeholders in Northern Ostrobothnia to promote digital well-being. As far as families in cooperation with children are concerned, it becomes clear that the challenges relate, among other things, to the time spent on digital devices. What is the appropriate amount to be on digital devices so that it does not have a negative impact on the well-being of the family? Excessive use of digital devices and incorrect content may have an impact on increasing insomnia, restlessness, presence and face-to-face interactions, so that social relationships suffer. Parents have a responsibility to assess what kind of digital devices and environments support the child's growth, development and well-being. The parents' high screen time has been found to have an impact on the child's abundant use of digital devices, and the child's abundant use of digital devices for entertainment purposes is known to predict lower school success. Parents' digital and media skills affect how they can ensure that the child's digital and media use is …

in cooperation in cooperation with these words, Sanna Salmela, Head of Welfare Promotion in the Wellbeing Services County of Northern Ostrobothnia, opened a seminar on Cultural Impact on Health and Welfare held on 8 September. ‘The wellbeing region must integrate cultural wellbeing services as part of its own service production. On the other hand, effective cooperation in cooperation in cooperation with municipal cultural services is important, as both parties share goals and customers", said Marjo-Riitta Tervonen, Head of Participation and Participation and Inclusion and Connectivity at the Wellbeing Services County of Northern Ostrobothnia. In the city of Oulu, the coordinator of cultural services for the elderly, Heidi Jäärni, already serve ass at the interface between general cultural services and social and health services. Perhaps such common tasks will also be possible in the near future between municipalities and the wellbeing services county. Expanding job descriptions and hybrid professionalism, i.e. working in cooperation in cooperation with different target groups in new kinds of work environments, challenge not only artists, but also the education system. According to Taru Koivisto, who has argued about the work of musicians in the Finnish health care system, effectiveness will increase if artists are well prepared for their work already in their field of education. The content of the training should be developed. "Even if a person is seriously ill, they can still feel good" The concrete effects of art on the seminar audience were presented by dancer and neuroscientist Hanna Poikonen. She has studied the effects of creative movement, dance and music on the brain. The results show that they accelerate the regeneration of brain tissue and the repair of potential damage. They also reduce stress, prevent memory problems, strengthen balance and imagination. Above all, dance and music bring pleasure. “Even if you are seriously ill, you can still feel good about yourself. Through culture and art, we can strengthen this very aspect of experientialism in ourselves. Everyone should find their own path to well-being. Art and culture provide pathways to it", said Hanna Poikonen in her speech. Dance and music can bring direct relief to many diseases, such as Parkinson's disease. You can also participate in the Parkinson's ballet groups in the Oulu region and they have been popular. At the cultural well-being market organised at the end of the seminar day, the audience got to know, among other things, the activities of the Mielenliike- Dance and Movement Therapy service led by Jessica Viitala. The market square had a large number of stakeholders presenting their products and services related to cultural well-being. The seminar on cultural impact on well-being and health was organised in cooperation by the Northern Ostrobothnia Welfare Region and its Future Health and Social Services Centre project and the Regional Assembly of Northern Ostrobothnia and its Cultural Cell project. Nearly 200 participants attended the event on-site and via streaming. the Seminar …

Change Now – Leading the Economy of Wellbeing! The 14th Northern Ostrobothnia Wellbeing Forum 2021 will be held on 4 November 2021 at Kuusamo House in Kuusamo (Kaarlo Hännisentie 2, Kuusamo). The event will start at 12 noon. In recent years, the economy of well-being has emerged as an important social theme and its effects on public policy can be observed both in Finland and abroad. If development continues in the same direction, the well-being economy may become one of the most significant policy ideas, operating models and drivers of change in the 2020s. It has therefore been justified to make the well-being economy a new key theme in the region's well-being work and regional development. In the well-being forum, we hear the latest information and good practices related to the theme, increase cooperation and partnership, strengthen competence and acknowledge successful practices. The event rewards the well-being act of the year. By 28 October 2021, binding registrations for the seminar via the link below https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/284BB47E96CBDA44 The Forum programme has been published. The event is free of charge for the participants, including coffee will be served. Lunch is self-sufficient. A free joint transport to Kuusamo and back will be arranged for the event. Departure from Oulu, in front of the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region (Poratie 5 A) and return to the same place. Registration for joint transport via the link above. The timetable of the transport will be communicated to those who have registered for collective transport closer to the event. The event will be streamed and can also be monitored remotely.

A cultural development programme is being prepared for Northern Ostrobothnia. Read a blog post about the progress of work and how well-being, culture and development are linked. You can find the blog here.