E-SPEAIT Week 4

Information Society Report to the Parliament of Finland by Pekka Himanen is analysing the development of information society , how it has been and how it could be improved. I chose a few points that I think are important and added whether I think these topics have improved.

First I would like to bring out that the report talks about management and work culture in a creative society. That companies have to provide space for creativity. This seems to be well adapted by companies and especially todays tech firms. For example companies have fitted comfortable rooms and ping pong tables for taking breaks. Sometimes you just need to step away from your work and you might get an idea while doing something different for a change. Working straight from eight to five can be exhausting and I often imagine it as a grey picture. But having some freedom can really add colour to that.

Secondly I want to bring out how the report mentions how important is high-quality education and training system. Learning continues well after school and then we have to do it by ourselves. It is extremely important that teacher training is well thought out. Students spend years with their teachers and that plays a part in shaping their personality and other traits. Teachers should help to build social skills, confidence and how to learn, in addition to the information. This way people would be more eager to learn new things and ways to solve problems. Which also helps become more creative. Especially in smaller countries where the country is more dependant on its population. I am not sure how much has this improved from the time this report was written until now. But it seems to me that younger people who are choosing to become teachers, can relate to students better. Therefore they can teach in a manner that is more acceptable by students.

Another very important topic, especially now in the information society, is physical health. Lot of work is being done behind a computer and often people might go and spend their free time also behind a computer, playing games or browsing web. Which means that a huge portion of the day is spent sitting and usually in bad positions. Having more exercise has tons of positive effects. Not only are you healthier, but it gives you more energy. This leads into having more motivation and productivity. I can see that more and more people are choosing healthier ways of life. It’s almost like a trend among young people, which I hope develops into a whole lifestyle not a momentary thing. Gym memberships are being sold out and now during the pandemic, home gym equipment is being sold out.