So, what is digital youth work in Finland, and where are its roots? According to Verke, the national development centre for digital youth work in Finland, the first indications of using technology or digital media in youth work can be traced to the 80’s. That is when first experiences of using game consoles (Nintendo, Sega etc.) were made in open youth work in Finland. After that, as we know, a lot has happened. In the 90’s first youth information web sites were available, which are still part of digital youth work in 2010’s. Also in the 90’s the first interactive elements appeared, for example question-answer based services and after that first chats also started as a way of online communication. In 2000’s we could already talk about web-based youth work or web youth work, when youth workers entered different kind of web environments where young people already were, like Habbo or IRC Gallery, including possibilities for private chats for conversations between a young person and a youth worker. Web services at that time were more often anonymous than they are today. Also it is noticeable, that digital youth work and its history is actually part of the history of open youth work, as we understand it, based on the work done in youth houses or youth centres. That is to say the first digital youth workers or those who participated in web-based youth work activities are actually the same youth workers who were working in the local, open youth houses. At first some dozens of youth workers were educated but later on, digital work has become part of the job description.
