Do You Want to Find Your Own Community?
Jarno Alastalo is one of the few people in Finland who has built a social media service with over a million users, immersing himself in the diverse world of digital communities. He is a builder of social media services, a non-fiction author, a social introvert, and, according to YLE Radio Suomi and regional newspapers, Finland’s leading cat video expert.
Offering concept and content design for digital services and social media platforms, as well as keynote speeches and presentations.
MAKING PEOPLE HAPPY
Jarno Alastalo’s company, Making People Happy, creates community concepts and content for digital media and offers down-to-earth advice on what digital culture means to all of us, how communities and stories change the world, how social media affects our mental health, why young people use digital services, and why people share even their darkest secrets online.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN YOUTH WORK – PROJECT 2024-25
Launched in September 2024, this project aims to empower young people by enhancing their media skills through the use of artificial intelligence. The target group is young individuals who are outside of work and education, whom we reach especially through outreach youth work—specifically via Helsinki’s outreach services and partner organizations. The young people participating in the workshops play a significant role in the development process.
The project also produces information and methods for utilizing artificial intelligence for professionals in outreach youth work and workshop activities, applicable in all forms of youth work.
The information section is led by Jarno Alastalo, who has extensive journalistic experience and a wealth of expertise in digital youth work. The project will publish, in various forms, information on how artificial intelligence affects young people’s lives, as well as practical examples and strategies on how youth workers can utilize artificial intelligence in their work.
The project is managed by the City of Helsinki’s Youth Services unit Verke, in partnership with Into – Association for Outreach Youth Work and Workshop Activities and the Finnish Society on Media Education.
SUGGEST INTERVIEWEES RELATED TO THE TOPIC AND CONTACT JARNO
JARNO
Jarno Alastalo is a builder of social media services, a non-fiction author, a social introvert, and, according to YLE Radio Suomi and regional newspapers, Finland’s leading cat video expert. He is a pioneer in social media, having co-founded the Suomi24 community, led Aller Media’s online business, and designed the peer support social media platform Heimo. Jarno also lectures and writes about the significance of digital communities, social relationships online, odd characters, and the dark and bright places on the internet. He has authored the non-fiction books Pimeä Netti (“The Dark Web”, 2017), Sometarinoita Suomesta (“Social Media Stories from Finland”, 2015), and Oudot Tyypit (“Weird People”, 2020).
SPEAKER / LECTURER
Jarno Alastalo is one of the few people in Finland who have built a social media service with over a million users and has seen up close how people behave in digital communities.
Jarno is a builder of social media services, a non-fiction author, a social introvert, and, according to YLE Radio Suomi and regional newspapers, Finland’s leading cat video expert. He is a pioneer of social media, having co-founded the Suomi24 community and currently building the peer support social network Heimo. He also lectures and writes about the significance of digital communities, social relationships online, odd characters, and the dark and bright places on the internet. He has written the non-fiction books Pimeä Netti (“The Dark Web”, 2017), Sometarinoita Suomesta (“Social Media Stories from Finland”, 2015), and Oudot Tyypit (“Weird People”, 2020).
Jarno has the ability to explain in a down-to-earth manner what digital culture means to all of us, how communities and stories change the world, how social media affects our mental health, why young people use digital services, and why people share even their darkest secrets online. His presentations are also visually impressive and well-paced.
Jarno believes that through digital communities and stories, the world can be changed into a better place.
Examples of Lectures/Keynote Speeches:
- Artificial Intelligence – Foolish Acts or Intelligence to Support Mental Health (Rovaniemi)
- How the Realities Created by Digital Communities Shape Our Thoughts (Lapinlahti High School, Lapinlahti)
- The Significance of Digital Platforms for Well-being and Ill-being (Municipality of Nivala)
- Will Technology Destroy or Save Our Planet – Youth Work Perspective (Digital Youth Work – State of Play – Moving Forward event 2023, Dublin, Ireland)
- Social Media Is Not Communication, but Life – Why Young People Are Not Interested in You (LIGHT ON DIGITAL BASIC SKILLS IN SATAKUNTA, Pori, Finland)
- Without Digital, There Is No Life – The Significance of Digital Platforms for Young People’s Well-being and Ill-being (Deaconess Institute, Vamos Development Day, Helsinki)
Picture: Fabian Björk
Contact
Jarno Alastalo
jarno@makingpeoplehappy.fi