Over seven in ten (72%[2]) young people surveyed feel more worried about the rising cost of living today than they did a year ago, fuelled by worries about the potential impact on their parents’ financial situation (77%[3]). Almost a third (32%) also expressed concerns about how they will get a job when they are older to support themselves, with fears that they do not have the necessary skills to cope in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world (23%).

Samsung commissioned the new research as it launches its Solve for Tomorrow Next Gen tech for good idea challenge, which encourages the next generation of innovators across the UK to help solve societal problems. This year’s theme, Living Well: Tech for a Happier, Healthier World, is designed to help young people solve problems they care about. Over four in five (81%[4]) express a desire to make a positive difference to the world we live in, yet the research reveals that less than half (49%[4]) feel the current, school curriculum prepares them to tackle societal issues.

Alongside the rising cost of living, online safety was also revealed to be another major source of concern among young people. Of those surveyed, 47% worry about the potential harms and dangers while using the internet, while more than half (58%[3]) reported feeling more concerned about online safety than they did a year ago today.

Young people are more determined than ever to meet these challenges head-on. In last year’s Solve for Tomorrow challenge, Millie from William Farr School was awarded first place in the 11-13 category for her innovation ‘My Bear’, which encourages children and young people to tackle hate by learning about other cultures. By linking the bear to an app, the user is rewarded with points. Meanwhile, Lorelei, Ruby, and Riya from Croydon High School, were awarded first place in the 13-15 category for their entry – a covert safety bangle designed to support girls and women whilst travelling alone. This year, young people from up and down the country will take part to create their own tech solutions to societal problems and have the chance to win some fantastic tech prizes.

Commenting on the competition launch, Soohyun Jessie Park, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Samsung Electronics UK, said: “We’re calling out to secondary schools across the UK and Ireland to join our tech for good idea challenge. Since launching in 2021, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Next Gen has reached 180,093 young people, and we’ve seen 2064 tech-for-good ideas – the programme is all about inspiring the next generation of innovators, and we can’t wait to see what young people come up with this year. Along with entering the challenge, we welcome teachers to make use of our free resources all year round on design thinking, careers in tech, and new for this year and part of our educational online safety tools and resources; how to use AI responsibly.”

In support of the Solve for Tomorrow Next Gen programme, Dr. Vee Kativhu, Founder & Director of Empowered by Vee, added: “As someone who grew up in a single-parent, lower-income household, I know first-hand how life-changing having access to technology and education can be. It was free resources, a library laptop, and opportunities like this that opened the doors for me to go on to study at both Oxford and Harvard University. Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow Next Gen competition gives young people that same chance — to turn their ideas, creativity, and passion into real solutions that make the world happier, healthier, and safer. I’m proud to support a challenge that believes in the power of young people and invests in their future.”

Entries for the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Next Gen tech for good challenge are now open until 25^th July 2025 with more information on how to enter here.

[1] Combining answer options “Very anxious” and “Fairly anxious”.

[2] Combining answer options “Much more concerned” and “Somewhat more concerned”.

[3] Combining answer options “Very concerned” and “Somewhat concerned”.

[4] Combining answer options “Very well” and “Fairly well”.

LONDON, U.K. –  March 18, 2025: Samsung welcomed parents, teachers, carers and industry guests to Samsung KX for a panel discussion: Let’s Talk Online Safety, moderated by broadcaster, author and founder of Happy Place, Fearne Cotton.

Fearne was joined by Deborah Honig, Chief Customer Officer for Samsung UK & Ireland, Vanessa Kingori OBE, Managing Director of Technology, Media, and Telecoms for Google, Rachel Huggins, Co-CEO of Internet Matters, and Marvyn Harrison, Founder of Dope Black Dads.

Each panellist shared their own experiences as parents on this important topic and provided guidance on where people can find the right resources to keep young people safe online. This is important as Samsung research shows that almost a fifth of parents don’t know how to set up parental controls and more than a third confess that their children know more about technology than they do.

The key topics for the panel were:

• How parents are navigating online safety for their children and the challenges they face
• How parents and teachers can make the right choices when it comes to keeping young people safe online
• How tech companies can best support in tackling this issue with features and education
• The critical role everyone has to play in supporting young people taking advantage of technology in a safe and responsible way

Fearne opened the panel with her own experiences, saying, “My children are nine and twelve so I’m in the thick of it. Neither have a phone and I’m trying to hold off until they’re thirteen or fourteen. But I know every parent makes different choices. My own worries won’t greatly differ from yours, what are they watching and who are they talking to online?” 

Rachel Huggins also provided her thoughts, saying, “It’s really hard being a parent at the moment and eight out of ten say they feel overwhelmed. It starts with understanding what your children are doing and what they want to do online. Then you can get to know the tools that are available to manage those experiences.”

The panel then considered how parents and teachers can make the right choices. Marvyn Harrison spoke about what he’s seeing in the community and in his own family. He said, “I try not to be a fearmonger. I want my children to be comfortable online. But I do know there can be risks. That’s why I’m trying to join them in their internet use so I can understand what they’re doing and seeing so I can make sure they’re safe.”

Fearne turned to Deborah Honig and Vanessa Kingori to talk about how tech companies can best support everyone in tackling the issue; how they’re communicating online safety to customers; and how they develop safety features with this in mind.

Deborah shared how Samsung listens to what people need and considers how they can use tools more easily. She said, “We develop with safety in mind. It’s a journey that we’ve been on for a while. It’s about showing people what tools are there and giving them the confidence and comfort to use them. We’re working hard to put out the most accessible resources to empower parents, teachers and kids to have conversations about what’s happening online and how to deal with it.”

Vanessa also gave her perspective, “At Google, we invest deeply in long-standing projects with great partners, some of whom are here today. Our aim is to empower parents to use available tools and give young people the tools to understand and have a healthy relationship with technology.”

Attendees then heard more about where information and resources are available, and how this subject is being tackled in schools. Marvyn spoke about his own platform evolving to meet the needs of parents and the significant interest he’s seen from the communities he interacts with. Rachel also gave her insight on the fragmentation of how the subject is tackled across schools and the difficulty teachers can have in staying up to date with the rapid evolution of technology. There’s an ongoing call for media literacy, including online safety, to be further embedded in the National Curriculum, which Samsung supports.

The debate ended with each panellist summarising what they hoped the audience would take away from the evening. Chief among these were hopes that parents would feel empowered by knowing the tools exist, and that parents’ behaviour with their own devices will influence children with theirs. Panellists also highlighted the importance of events such as this, where everyone works together to have open and honest conversations. They all emphasised that no-one is alone and the work will continue.

Following the discussion, the audience asked questions learning more about how to have the right conversations. They also met with Samsung product trainers, who demonstrated the online safety features available across devices.

This event recognised the importance of equipping parents and teachers with the confidence and knowledge of online safety to help children enjoy the benefits of technology safely. Samsung champions and encourages these types of conversations all year round through customer interactions, but also crucially through educational initiatives that encourage parents and carers to have early conversations with their children about the responsible use of technology.

For more useful information and online safety resources, please visit Samsung’s Online Safety site here, and Internet Matters here.

You can also watch the full panel discussion here on our YT Channel: Let’s Talk Online Safety.

Q) Thanks for joining us today, Deborah, can you tell us why Safer Internet Day is such an important day to mark for Samsung, and what it means to you personally?

Days like Safer Internet Day are really crucial to help give all parents and guardians a platform to continue to talk openly about helping our children stay safe online and also share their experiences in how to achieve this. This is an ongoing area of focus for us, but marked days are vital for growing awareness on important topics. As a parent with a young son, my priority is his safety, both off and online. As he gets older and learns how to navigate the online world, it’s important that I can help equip him to be confident, secure and knowledgeable when accessing new technologies.

Q) What is Samsung’s role, as a device manufacturer, in helping combat the growing issue of keeping young people safe online?

We have a shared responsibility with all invested stakeholders to help combat this problem. We are now in our eighth year of supporting Safer Internet Day and have partnered with Internet Matters since 2019, creating vital resources to help parents and children. We need to keep these relationships strong and work together on projects that shine a light on online safety. This won’t be solved by any one organisation or campaign alone. We must collaborate to help inspire and enable parents and guardians to keep having the most important of conversations with their children, especially as we see how prevalent social media is in today’s society.

We want all families who use our devices and services to be able to understand the tools and resources available to them, helping them to set positive boundaries and measures they feel can be effective. We often say that our kids appear more tech-savvy than we are, but learning together can really help everyone in the family dynamic to understand the importance and dangers of online safety.

Q) Internet Matters does a huge amount of work on this issue, how important is this partnership to Samsung?

It really is critical to work alongside incredible organisations like Internet Matters and try to tackle the online safety issue collaboratively. For example, in 2023, we launched the ‘Online Together Project’ with Internet Matters, where we designed a teaching module tool to educate on key topics such as online hate, giving families practical advice and encouraging more open conversations between parents and children. We are proud of the resources created and we wanted to highlight that this type of conversation should always be a two-way, open dialogue.

I certainly want my son to be able to have those conversations with me and share his views so we can set boundaries together, talk about safety and security openly, and develop a better way forward that builds trust and honesty as he gets older and inevitably has more access to the online world.

Our work with Internet Matters has been critical to enhancing our own understanding of how we should not only collectively work together but also how we face into this issue as a manufacturer that has a responsibility to ensure its product features reflect the needs of parents and guardians. When they take that first step of introducing their children to new technology and the internet, we hope to enable them to do so armed with as much knowledge and expertise as we can provide. We design our products with safety and security as a critical priority and we take pride in that.

Q) What plans do Samsung have to mark Safer Internet Day this year?

I think it’s important to say that we have made a huge amount of progress already – from a device manufacturer perspective, we want to listen to our customers on this issue and address their concerns. You will all be aware over the last year that there has been an increased focus on this issue from key stakeholders – the Government, media and online safety parent campaigners – to champion the need to do more and push more on this issue, and we have taken part in many constructive debates and discussions.

We’re doing this by using our communication channels to help raise awareness on the parental controls and safety settings available across Samsung’s products. We are also providing free online safety resources for teachers to use in schools through our Solve for Tomorrow Next Gen programme. Next Gen this year is aimed at 11-15 year olds, focusing on AI for secondary school teachers to help students explore the benefits and challenges of AI and better understand how to use AI responsibly.

This year, we are also raising awareness of Safer Internet Day and the existing Samsung tools & resources available to our customers through our brand and marketing channels, in-store and on the large format Piccadilly Lights digital screen in London. We encourage people to check out our latest online safety guides and videos available on Samsung.com that will address the need for better and more simpler education for parents, guardians and young children.

We are also inviting people to register for our ‘Let’s Talk Online Safety’ Panel discussion event on the 18^th March, hosted at Samsung KX, to continue the momentum and conversation beyond tomorrow. One of our brilliant ambassadors, Fearne Cotton, will be holding a panel discussion where we will be exploring the challenges that we know young people face online and the role we can all play in supporting them.

Q) Finally Deborah, what is your message to our customers about our future ambitions to help tackle this issue?

I think we have to understand that the work should never be done. We know that this is a critical moment in time where this issue has never been more important in the eyes of so many people. We are open to working with the Government, our partners and stakeholders, through our role within our Tech UK industry body, on initiatives that will really engage customers and have the reach and impact that creates meaningful conversations.

We champion and encourage these conversations all year-round through our interactions with our customers, but also crucially through our educational initiatives, encouraging early conversations about responsible use of technology. It really is a long-term journey that we’re committed to, but there is still a lot work ahead of us, to help tackle online safety successfully.

To attend our ‘Let’s Talk Online Safety’ Panel Event at Samsung KX, on Tuesday 18^th March at 5.30pm, please register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lets-talk-online-safety-hosted-by-fearne-cotton-tickets-1234746994499?aff=oddtdtcreator

To learn more about Safer Internet Day, please go to: https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2025

LONDON, UK – 16 December, 2024: Samsung Electronics Co. (UK) Ltd has called for the way Design and Technology is taught in schools to be refreshed. Without this change, there is a fear the UK’s pipeline of diverse talent with the skills for future inventions is at risk.

In a letter to the Government, supported by both The Design Council and The Design and Technology Association, the technology company highlighted the risk of Design and Technology becoming non-existent in the next decade. To enable a new generation of young innovators, there is willingness from Samsung to provide support and expertise to future conversations on curriculum changes to how D&T is taught to young people.

New research out today, commissioned by Samsung found less than half* (44%) of 13-19 year olds that the current D&T curriculum prepares them for the future of technology. Meanwhile, almost a quarter (23%) believe that Design and Technology lessons haven’t given them sufficient skills to make a change in the world using technology.

A report by The Design Council and The Design and Technology Association also revealed that a fifth (20%) of schools in England and Wales do not teach Design and Technology at all. The number of pupils taking the subject at GCSE level has also fallen by 68% in the last decade, leading to Samsung partnering with The Design Council and Design and Technology Association to urge for this necessary education review.

The impact of this is fewer young people being able to solve societal issues, including those centred around the environment, due to them not being equipped with the necessary skills.

In the letter, Samsung, alongside The Design Council and The Design and Technology Association, calls upon the Government to consider five key elements of change:

• Evolve D&T lessons to have design thinking and innovation at the forefront through practical projects – Samsung’s research showing that 71% of young people would like to be offered a course in school to develop their own inventions
• Future-proofing the Curriculum by ensuring latest technologies such as AI are being formally integrated into the Curriculum, in the context of real-world technology applications
• Ensure young people’s voices are heard and reflected in understanding their current challenges and in any future decision-making process
• Training more teachers in Design & Technology to enable young people in all schools to access quality D&T education and access to tools / resources
• Adopt a more holistic approach to teaching technology and digital skills in schools by connecting the Design & Technology curriculum with Computing Education

To help aid a curriculum refresh, Samsung has also invited Government ministers and stakeholders to its youth forum, a forum led by the thoughts of young people currently in, or who have recently left, the education system – supported by The Design Council and The Design and Technology Association. The forum allows young people to share their experiences, ambitions and discuss how the education system can help them achieve their goals. This follows it responding to the Government’s call for evidence as part of the Curriculum Review.

These young voices are currently being discovered and amplified through Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow programme. The competition, which is now in its fifth year, invites 16–25-year-olds to come up with tech solutions that help solve societal challenges. Winners of the competition are supported by Samsung in bringing their ideas to life through free educational workshops, mentoring, funding and support – with one of the key points of entry being Design and Technology classes in schools.

Young people across the country can visit the Solve for Tomorrow website for more information, and enter here until Sunday 12th January 2025. The full letter is also available to read on our website.

Speaking about the letter, Soohyun Jessie Park, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Samsung Electronics UK, said: “We are fortunate enough to speak to young innovators every day as part of the Solve for Tomorrow programme and we know they have a huge appetite for innovation right across the country, yet still experience barriers to realise this. We believe a refresh of the Design and Technology curriculum will help equip young people with the fundamental skills they need for the future, with a bigger emphasis on key skills such as design thinking.

They’re currently looking to use tech to change the world for good, and we need to foster that, both in our Solve for Tomorrow programme and outside of it. Hopefully, the Government working with us to make this change can be a key driver to help unlock the potential of a more diverse next generation of innovators.” 

Rachel Moriarty, Director of Skills at the Design Council, also stated: “We must inspire and equip the next generation of designers if we are to solve societal issues in the future. Particularly around environmental issues, design is a core green skill. This includes both ‘frontline’ design skills of using and re-using natural resources more efficiently, but also ‘hearts and minds’ design skills such as making regenerative lifestyles the more attractive option. The Design Council has launched an ambitious mission to upskill 1 million designers in green design skills by 2030, and this mission starts in schools. We welcome a comprehensive review of the D&T curriculum to ensure that we have the crucial skills that will drive our economy and protect our planet for the future.”

Tony Ryan, Chief Executive of the Design and Technology Association, further commented:

“Design and technology focuses on problem-solving, innovation and creativity to provide thoughtfully designed products, systems, and services to suit an increasingly complex world. Our subject seeks to produce well-informed and eternally curious young people who will learn how they can leave the earth in a more positive place than they found it. It’s vital that if we’re going to solve issues in the future, we’re giving our young people the tools to do it today”.

Methodology
*Consumer research was commissioned to 1,000 UK teenagers aged 13-19 between the 4th and 10th October 2024 by OnePoll. Onepoll are members of ESOMAR and comply with the ESOMAR guidelines for online research.

Patent information was obtained via the Intellectual Property Office

About the Design Council

The Design Council is the UK’s national strategic advisor for design, championing design and its ability to make life better for all. It is an independent and not for profit organisation incorporated by Royal Charter. The Design Council uniquely works across all design sectors and delivers programmes with business, government, public bodies and the third sector. Their work encompasses thought leadership, tools and resources, showcasing excellence, and research to evidence the value of design and influence policy. Their Design for Planet mission was introduced in 2021 to galvanise and support the 1.97 million people who work in the UK’s design economy to help achieve net zero and beyond. In September 2025 the Design Council will host the prestigious World Design Congress as a catalytic moment in driving the sector towards designing for planet.

About the Design and Technology Association

The Design and Technology Association is dedicated to supporting, developing, and promoting high-quality design and technology education as a core element of a well-rounded education for all young people. We bridge the gap between schools, students, and the worlds of business, design, manufacturing, and industry, while advocating with the Government and key decision-makers to ensure the subject’s value is fully recognised and supported.

As the UK’s leading authority on design and technology, the Association is committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of ability, gender, socioeconomic background or disability, have access to high-quality D&T education as part of a broad, creative curriculum up to the age of 18.

For more information, please visit www.designtechnology.org.uk or contact us at info@designtechnology.org.uk.

LONDON, UK – 2^nd June, 2020 – With more young people spending increasing amounts of time online, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd has teamed up with online safety partner Internet Matters to launch a brand new video series offering expert tips and advice on how to make the digital world a safe and exciting place for children.

The online series follows the successful launch of Samsung and Internet Matters’ child online safety workshops at Samsung KX for this year’s Safer Internet Day. The workshop helped parents and carers get to grips with both the benefits and the risks of the online world, offering hands on experience with some of the safety features available across Samsung connected devices, such as Kids Mode and SafeToNet. Now, the ‘Keeping Kids Safe Online’ video series, breaks down some of the key online safety information and tips into simple bite-size content available on the Samsung KX website.

Across three videos presented by Internet Matters’ Head of Digital, Ghislaine Bombusa, the series covers: What you need to know about online safety to support your family, Practical tips to support your family and finally, Tools and resources to support your family.

Jessie Soohyun Park, Head of CSR at Samsung Electronics UK, said: “Following the fantastic response to our online safety workshop earlier this year, we are delighted to continue our close partnership with Internet Matters and offer further support to parents and carers through this new digital series.

“These online workshops form a part of Samsung’s new ‘Stay Learning’ series, available on the Samsung KX website to support children’s education and safety at this time. Through them we hope to highlight the many features available to families to ensure they’re staying safe across our range of connected devices.

“We believe strongly in the positive power of technology and as young users are turning to their devices more than ever during this time to help them learn, communicate and relax, ensuring their well-being has never been more important.”

CEO of Internet Matters, Carolyn Bunting, said: “Internet Matters and Samsung are proud partners and have been working together over the past year to help ensure the safety of young users. We hope this online series will help families get the most of their technology and help them make the most out of the time they spend on it.

“Online safety must remain a priority – especially as we’ve come to rely on tech more than ever during these unprecedented times.”

The videos can be found now on the Samsung KX website:

• • Keeping Kids Safe Online: What you need to know about online safety to support your family: – https://www.samsung.com/uk/explore/kings-cross/lifestyle/internet-matters/1/
  • Keeping Kids Safe Online: Practical tips to support your family: – https://www.samsung.com/uk/explore/kings-cross/lifestyle/internet-matters/2/
  • Keeping Kids Safe Online: Tools and resources to support your family: https://www.samsung.com/uk/explore/kings-cross/lifestyle/internet-matters/3/

These guides help keep children safe across a variety of Samsung features, and include details on the Kids Mode feature on its latest mobile devices, as well as parental controls and safety features on Smart domestic appliances.

Visit www.internetmatters.org/samsung  for more information on how to keep your child safe online across Samsung devices.