By Sammie Jones-
Samsung UK is promoting The Online Together Project as part of its successful partnership with Internet Matters, which focuses on working together to keep young people safe online.
This year, Safer Internet Day (SID) takes place on 8th February and promotes the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people while seeking to inspire a national conversation around this year’s theme of “All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online.”
Samsung encourages a family centric approach to encouraging a safe, positive and inclusive culture online and through The Online Together Project has created an online interactive quiz tool for families to use together. The quiz looks at the theme of challenging gender stereotypes which aligns with the Safer Internet Day 2022 themes of respect and relationships.
Parents and carers are encouraged to have conversations with young people around relevant topics alongside developing their critical thinking skills. The tool has had a positive impact already with three quarters of family users saying that The Online Together Project helps their children be more aware of the support networks they can access.
Conor Pierce, Corporate Vice-President, Samsung UK and Ireland, said:
“At Samsung we understand that technology can bring challenges as well as positive benefits for families and young people. As such we’re really proud to be a partner of Safer Internet Day. The day is an opportunity to bring world attention to the importance of keeping our children safe online.
“At Samsung our driving ambition is to make the internet as safe as possible for users, deliver the highest standard of safety features and, together with our Partner, Internet Matters, create family friendly tools such as the interactive tool; The Online Together Project. We hope access to these tools will enable thousands more families to spark conversations and understanding about keeping safe online.”
CEO of Internet Matters Carolyn Bunting MBE said:
“Internet Matters and Samsung UK have been proud partners for many years working together to improve the safety and experience of young people online.
The Online Together Project aims to help parents and carers support their children to recognise and challenge gender stereotypes online, to encourage respectful interaction and acceptance of others, no matter what their differences are.
We’re delighted to co-host the upcoming webinar with Samsung UK as an opportunity to bring greater access to the tools we have developed together, that are designed to support parents have an ongoing conversation with their children to keep them safe and happy online.
Will Gardner OBE, Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, commented:
“Safer Internet Day is an amazing opportunity for parents and carers, schools and educators, children and young people and others to start conversations around their safe use of technology. The need for these conversations is greater than ever before, and with organisations like Samsung supporting the Day, it will really help in getting key messages to those that need them, to help all of us to support children in their online lives.”
Internet Matters, which is built on collaboration through partnering with industry, has successfully delivered a number of impactful campaigns on issues including cyberbullying, sexting, privacy, online grooming and inappropriate content, offering parents, carers and teachers practical, step-by-step advice on how to engage with children on these issues and setting up parental controls.