Working with young PeopleDigital Youth Work

Submitted by:Binod Panta, Chhabi Neupane, Kaye, Nnaeto Onwuzurumba

Youth work• Refers to spending time with youth and encouraging them to reach their full

potentials.• Working with young people encouraging and helping them achieve their goals.• It can also be organisational skills to assist youth in their daily lives.• ‘ Youth work is defined as the promotion of active citizenship in young people’s

leisure time, their empowerment, support for young people’s growth and independence, and interaction between generations.’ (Youth Act)

• Youth works enables young people to build and effectively manage social capital. This being ''the bulk of social interactions, networks and network opportunities that either people or communities have within a specific environment. The environment is characterized by a commonality of mutual trust and reciprocity and informed by specific norms and values'‘ (Wood & Hine, 2010)

Purpose/Goals• Universal services for all young people• To enable youth have positive influence on their peers within their

neighborhood • To tackle inequalities among individuals and neighborhood • To ensure that every child has a hobby• Support young people’s growth and independence• Promote young people’s active citizenship and empowerment• Improve young people’s growth and living conditions

(Kiviniemi, 2017)

Digital Youth Work• Engages young people using contemporary youth work ideals• Incorporates digital environment (Social networking sites, online communities, digital devices)• Requires practitioners to have technological and digital understanding• Supports young people in developing their offline and online agency• Field of youth work that use new technology and digital media to enhance and facilitate youth

development• Can be used as a tool for youth development facilitated by online environment.• Internet outreach and cyber support• ‘If youth work fails to embrace the use of technology and social media there is a risk of becoming

outdated and irrelevant to young people who use youth work services’ (Youth Worker, Scotland)(Youth Work in digital age, 2015 )

Digital media and technology in Youth workAs a medium• - Online Counseling• - Informative websites• - Marketing on Social mediaAs an activity• - Gaming• - Organizing multicultural activities• - Robotics• - GPS based activitiesAs a Content• - Young journalists• - Discussion about media• - Learning to code

(Digital youth work, 2016 )

World history on Digital youth work There were many ways in which implementation of youth work was carried out for example

in Ireland youth workers were forbidden by law to hold one-on-one conversation with young people weather online or face to face.

Much emphasis was put on media protection rather than agitation and empowerment through media production

In Europe western European countries such as Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and Spain emphasised more of youth work development than in Eastern countries such as Ukraine, Latvia, Romania and others.

Youth was characterised by socialising young people to pre-concieved norms as form of remedy

Participants were seen acceptable social actors and citizens Active process of participation based on social engagement, curriculum negotiation. It arose

from series of dialogue, exploring power and equality in Scotland.

Finnish history on Digital youth Work• Finish youth work has been characterised by use of media since its emergence • Since 1980 video games have been prominently used among the youth • Information started being posted on Finnish youth work websites from 1990 onwards• In 2005 the first youth work services emerged in commercial online environments

especially Facebook• In 2005 Netari was founded • In 2007 multi professional work was implemented • In 2010 up to 1800 young people visited the online services• In 2011 Verke was founded

(Verke, 2016)

Digital youth work guidelines• The organizational culture encourages curiosity and experimentation• Strategic planning supports long term development• A goal oriented approach and assessment improve the quality of activities• Resources are targeted at digital youth work• The skills and competence of the work community are ensured• Digital youth work is developed through cooperation• Digital youth work promotes the empowerment and equality of young people• Youth work strengthens young people’s media skills and digital skills

(Verke.fi, 2015)

How does the digital working system run?• Everything about digital youth work revolves around the internet• Statistics show that at least 94% of youth workers serving in various Finnish

municipalities use the internet as their primary means of communication with young people.

• The internet exists as an easy and flexible tool for spreading information en masse. For example. It is a lot easier nowadays to invite people for all kinds of private and public events or Facebook or Whatsapp using e-posters. This is gradually eroding the more traditional channels of dissemination of information

• With social media platforms, it is possible to conduct live sessions of one on one conversations with young people . Using platforms such as Skype and Google hangout, guiadance and counselling services can be offered.

(Digital media in Finnish youth Work, 2015)

How does the digital working system run?• Peer support education thrives well wit the internet too. Theses days, young people are

constantly following global celebrities online. Sometimes, they develop their sense of identity from these public figures. Thus digital youth work gets to exploit this tendency as an avenue for fostering positive peer support among young people.

• The most popular or widely used media on the internet for digital youth work include the following: E-mail, official websites of specific organisations, Facebook, Youtube, Whatsapp, Instagram

• Digital games on consoles are popular with young people especially males. Many more prefer to place on their smart phones and PCs

• Real time online gaming is equally growing in popularity.• Research findings have shown that 60% of digital youth workers are of the opinion that digital

games constitute a formidable tool for advancing the frontiers of contemporary youth work(Digital media in Finnish youth Work, 2015)

Introduction of Organization (Verke)National Development Centre For Digital Youth Work in Finland• Verke is one of the national development and service centers established by the Ministry of

education and culture.• Verke is fully funded by the same Ministry.• Annual budget is 31 Million euros per year.• Verke’s goals and operations are agreed in yearly discussions between Verke and the Ministry.• Verke’s operations are managed by City of Helsinki Youth Department.• Verke does not work directly with the young people but works as a facilitator for the youth

organizations or youth workers.(Verke.fi, 2017 )

• Vision:-To provide social worker (who works with young people ) the opportunities to use digital media and technology as part of their work.

• Verke aims to promote welfare, inclusion and equality among young people by means of digital youth work.

• It provides training and consultancy production and dissemination of information and development of digital youth work together with actors in the field together with innovative and new solutions.

(Verke.fi, 2017)

Objectives

• Knowledge of ways of using digital media and technology will increase and expand in the field of youth work

• The structure of youth work will support the use of digital media and technology in youth work

• Innovative services and concepts will be created in the field of youth work, using digital media and technology.

Key forms of work• Training and consultancy• Production and dissemination of information• Development of digital youth work together with actors in the field

Target Group• Under the age of 29 years.

Work methods• Online youth Work• Internet outreach• Online dialogue• Cyber support• Virtual interaction services• Web based youth work• Cyber youth work• Virtual interaction services• Digital street work

(Youth work in digital age, 2015)

Major operations in 2017• Execute a national survey regarding digital youth work• Hold training sessions and workshops in line with demand• Produce podcasts that address topical phenomena in young people’s internet use and

digital youth work• Offer consultation concerning the online youth work subsidies of the Ministry of

Education and Culture, to both applicants and the ministry.• Participate in the European commission Expert group on digitalization and youth.• Support municipalities or organizations to hold a joint e-sports tournament.• Translate materials relating to digital youth work in Finland to both English and

Swedish(Verke.fi, 2017)

Legislative procedure• Youth act (2016)• Local government act (2016)• Child and youth policy programme (2016)• Child welfare act (2007)• Guidelines for good media literacy (2013)

What kind of ethical issues and ethical dilemmas do you usually face?

Work ethics• The normal youth work and the digital youth work both are oblized to follow the

similar ethical code of conduct.• Treat young people with respect, valuing each individual and avoiding negative

discrimination.• Respect and promote young people’s right to make decisions and choices, unless the

welfare or legitimate interests of themselves or others are seriously threatened.• Promote and ensure the welfare and safety of young people while permitting them to

learn through undertaking challenging educational activities• Contribute toward the promotion of justice for young people and in society generally• Act with professional integrity.

(Banks S, 2010)

Online youth work was mentioned in youth policy development programme 2007-2011.

The Finnish Government’s child and youth policy programme included• Digital generation• Safe media environment• Media literate children and young people• Children and young as content producers• Youth work on the internet• Internet student house• Healthy computer use

Examples• “If youth work fails to embrace the use of technology and social media

there is a risk of becoming outdated and irrelevant to young people who use youth work services.” (Screenagers report)

• Sharing is caring • Youth participation is increased because of digital youth work.• “I think the beauty of digital youth work is that you get to try out a new way

of doing the thing you’re best at. You get to pour this layer of sauce on top of your traditional dish, which makes it more spicy. It’s not something extra – which I think many people struggle with – but instead you just replace your old methodology with new digital approaches.” (Heleen Meselle).

Digital youth Work SWOT AnalysisStrength• Offers young people new experience and learning opportunities• Easier, Effective and immediate communication • Digital tools allows social worker to work almost at any time.• Time saving and efficient

Weakness• Lack of strategic direction and proper framework• Lack of common ethical code of conduct• Difficulty in managing private and professional sphere• Digital and technological knowhow a most.• Economically burdening

Opportunities• Developing innovative practices through e-learning• Pushing boundaries within ever changing digital contexts• Co-production of digital opportunities with young people• Reaching isolated or disengaged young people• Support young people in developing skills necessary in a digital society

(Youth work in digital age, 2015)

Challenges• Providing online support for offline issues• Constraints in organizational capacity• Exclusion• Danger of ‘instead of’ rather than ‘as well as’ in effort to cut costs• Incompetence with the use of technology• Funding constraints• Lack of infrastructure• Need of changing mind sets amongst the policy makers and funders

(Youth work in digital age, 2015)

Pre requisites for developing digital youth work• Strategic financial investment in infrastructures, hardware, professional

development and practice development• Meeting the identified training needs of youth workers at all levels• Challenge resistant mind sets and support for creative use of ICT youth work• Ensured legal policy commitment within youth work sector• Proper guidance and training for the youth worker laying out principles of

best practices and demonstrating impacts

(Screenagers, 2015)

Reference• Banks, S, 2010. Work with young people. Sage publication Ltd, London• Developing a Technology Philosophy for Digital Youth Work, 2014. Accessed on 14 th February 2017.

http://concept.lib.ed.ac.uk/index.php/Concept/article/viewFile/250/236• Digital media in Finnish youth work, 2015. Accessed on 14 th February 2017 http://www.youth.ie/sites/youth.ie/files/National

%20report_Finland_2016.pdf• Guidelines for digital youth work, 2015. Accessed on 14 th February 2017.

https://www.verke.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/verke_suuntaviivat_eng.pdf• https://books.google.fi/books?hl=en&lr=&id=iRHuAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=digital+youth+work+&ots=26u1tcqk3r&sig=ofPnPU8Dk6-

h_g4uOtXjlXvPFSQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=digital%20youth%20work&f=false• Lecture material. Juha kiviniemi, 2017. Accessed on 14 th February 2017.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx59EBFerPppU2ZfWU5DVVJTcTg/view• Roberts, J. (2009). Youth work ethics. Exeter: Learning Matters.• Screenagers Research on digital youth work, 2015. Accessed on 14 th February 2017

http://www.youth.ie/sites/youth.ie/files/Infographic_ScreenagersResearch_accessible.pdf• Taking youth to the digital world, 2014. Accessed on 14 th February 2017 https://www.verke.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Taking-youth-

work-to-the-digital-world.pdf• Using ICT, digital and social media in youth work, 2015. Accessed on 14 th February 2017.

http://www.youth.ie/sites/youth.ie/files/Infographic_ScreenagersResearch_accessible.pdf• Youth work in digital age policy and practice, 2015. Accessed on 14 th February 2017 http://www.slideshare.net/DanaCohlmeyer/youth-work-

in-a-digital-age-policy-practice-and-theory?qid=f9929a5e-0570-4f4a-903c-26227379ddbf&v&b&from_search=1

Thank you all and Special thanks to Juha Kiviniemi.