The event began on Tuesday evening with an interactive get-together on the digital platform Gather.town, giving attendees the opportunity to get to know each other on an informal, playful level. Networking, speed dating and games helped create an open atmosphere and set the scene for the next day’s programme.
Keynote: Impacts of digital transformation on young people
Wednesday morning began with an impressive keynote presentation by Jarno Alastalo, a recognised digital communities expert from Finland. He outlined the impacts of digital transformation on young people’s everyday lives and spoke about how the youth work community should respond to the resulting changes. He highlighted that for young people, the lines between “real” and “digital” are blurring. To assist them, he continued, we should recognise that digital platforms are an integral part of how they navigate their lives – and that the platforms don’t just influence the way they interact, but also how they see themselves and the world around them. While intercultural dialogue cannot be fully replicated in the virtual space, digital tools can allow for genuine connections to happen wherever in-person encounters are not an option. In this manner, they can enrich the way young people interact and open up new pathways towards meaningful engagement. The experts should maintain an open mind and play the role of what one might call “co-learning guides”. These thoughts by Jarno Alastalo provided fertile ground for the subsequent points on the agenda.