04.06.2021
Blog: Digital support strengthens the well-being of young people
The impact of digitalisation on society affects all age groups. in cooperation with digital support, the aim is to strengthen everyone's digital skills sufficient for the everyday life of the individual so that it is possible to stay involved in society, take care of things and use electronic services. Digital support can strengthen Participation and Inclusion, equality and non-discrimination, this is important for all age groups.
However, when talking about young people's digital skills, the concept of a digital native quickly emerges. The concept was invented by an American writer. Mark Prensky in 2001. He described a new generation of people who haven't experienced the time before the internet and mobile devices. However, Prensky did not intend to describe how well young people who grew up in the digital age use electronic services. (Vallinkoski, 2017.) In everyday speech, however, the concept of "digital native" has gradually become more common and its meaning has changed.
We are easily mistaken to think that young people who have grown up in the age of digitalisation use all electronic services fluently and in a sovereign manner. Diginative has thus become a concept synonymous in cooperation with a young person who masters everything related to digital. However, this is a kind of illusion that needs to be slightly shaken up – especially when it makes us think that young people do not need digital support.
Although variations in digital skills between individuals also occur in the age group of young people, there is a clear need for digitalization among young people. According to the national digital skills survey, young people need support especially when dealing in cooperation with e-government services. The latest Youth Barometer supports this research result: According to the barometer, about 12 % young people find e-services challenging to find and 10 % They felt that services were not available when they were most needed.
In addition, it should be noted that the reason for the lack of use of services may also be in economic structures and socio-economic status, for example young people from low-income families may not be able to afford to buy and maintain the necessary equipment and therefore use the necessary services.
Young people therefore want accessibility, clarity and guidance to digital services – who would guide them?
For digital support developers, young people's views are valuable information. Our mission is to provide young people in cooperation with accessible, low-threshold digital support and up-to-date and reliable information. In the development of digital support, young people's needs have been heard and they want to be reached by digital support. Cooperation between different stakeholders ensures the availability of digital support for every young person.
One topical example of the contribution of national digital support development work to the target group of young people is the national and regional digital support media campaign for young people aged 12-25, to be implemented in June 2021. The purpose of the campaign is to reach out to as many young people as possible who need digital support, using effective and youth-oriented communication, and to write an important message - asking for digital support is not embarrassing! On the contrary, it is every young person's right.
Providing digital support to young people not only solves an acute service-level problem, but also aims to increase digital well-being. By increasing digital well-being, young people's Participation and Inclusion and equality are strengthened and digital exclusion is prevented.
Digital support therefore plays a significant role in well-being work and its development. A media campaign is one way we can communicate and promote digital support to young people. By participating in the campaign, different service providers can be involved in spreading the important message and thus developing a more equal and equal society for young people.
Veera Melander
project planner, Northern Ostrobothnia Digital Support project
Regional Assembly of Oulu Region
Sources:
University of Helsinki, Retrieved 26 April 21
