Does knowledge equal understanding? Are data and information equivalent things?
Today, information is abundant – but understanding is sparse.
When we want to understand something, cold mechanical data is offered in return by our 'digital companions' as the explicit answer.
However, to truly understand we need to feel – be empathetic. Something as inhumane as data cannot generate empathy let alone compassion.
These were the central themes and questions reflected by Finland's biggest subscription newspaper Helsingin Sanomat as they launched their new news app while simultaneously contemplating their role in the growing digitalised society.
Helsingin Sanomat investigates, scrutinizes, and finally conveys the information to us with feeling – and AS feelings and understanding that then generates empathy. Which finally, and hopefully, turns into compassion. This is what makes us human – what separates us from machines and animals.
This is the very sentiment the agency aimed to depict with the campaign.