Dr. Olgun Sadık

I have been an educator for more than twenty years, teaching from 4th grade to the doctoral level. For the last fifteen of those years, my work has focused on emerging technologies and their impact inside and outside the classroom.

People often call me an “expert” in this area.

But the more I learn, the more I realize how much I do not know.

And perhaps that is why one question challenges me more than any research problem or classroom dilemma:

What is the most important skill my daughters will need when they graduate into the world ten years from now?

As an educator, I think about this professionally.

As a parent, I think about it daily.

Parenting in a Rapidly Changing World

Culturally, as a Turkish father, I was raised with the instinct to lead, to control, and to guide with certainty. My father was a teacher and wanted me to become a teacher in public schools because it was the safest way to survive economically. You never become wealthy, but you never become hungry.

But I know this approach does not fit the world my children are growing into. They have their own personalities, their own interests, and their own ways of making sense of life. My role is not to shape them into my expectations but to provide the opportunities, love, and foundation they need to be happy, healthy, and successful on their own terms.

And yet, the challenge is real.

We live in a society transforming at a speed none of us expected. Technology is reshaping everything, including childhood. I want my daughters to be ready for the life ahead of them, not just the one I experienced.

In this post, I want to share my predictions about their future and how I am trying to prepare them for it.

A Future That May Feel More Lonely

Technology connects us in extraordinary ways, yet it also isolates us. Each year, our dependence on digital tools grows deeper. Artificial intelligence has become woven into daily life so subtly that we often forget it is there.

• personalized recommendations
• curated social media feeds
• navigation systems
• shopping insights
• the platforms we used during remote work and schooling

AI moved from being a convenience to being a dependency, especially after COVID-19 accelerated our reliance on digital systems for work, school, and even medical care.

And while these tools offer value, they also extract something from us.

In my talks to students and teachers, I often remind them:

“If you are not paying for the product, you are the product.”

So how do we guide our children in a world shaped by invisible algorithms and constant digital temptation?

Building the Human Skills They Will Need Most

To prepare our children for life, and not just work, we need to help them strengthen the skills that technology cannot replace.

Human connection: Help them build and maintain friendships, communicate with empathy, and be present with others.

Social and emotional development: Make room for real conversations, real play, and real family time without screens.

Critical thinking: Teach them to question information, evaluate sources, and make decisions grounded in values rather than algorithmic suggestions.

Independence and resilience: Encourage them to solve problems, take responsibility, and explore who they want to become.

Without these foundations, our children may drift through a digital world that constantly pulls them away from themselves.

What About Their Professional Future?

This is where the question becomes more complex and more urgent.

In the coming decade, many people will struggle. Those who engage with technology only as consumers may be reduced to sources of data, shaped by systems they do not understand.

But there will be another group.

These will be the people who understand society and technology, not necessarily as developers but as informed collaborators.

These will be the professionals who thrive.

• Doctors who use AI to expand the quality and quantity of data that informs their decisions.
• Engineers who work alongside AI systems to optimize processes and solve complex problems faster.
• Professionals in every field who can judge when to trust AI, when to question it, and how to apply it responsibly.

The future will not require everyone to be an AI engineer.

But it will require people who can:

• understand AI systems
• recognize their strengths and limitations
• make critical decisions with their support

In short, AI-literate human judgment will become one of the most valuable skills of the next generation.

Final Thoughts

As a father, I still do not have all the answers.

But I know this much:

If my daughters can stay connected to themselves, think critically, care for others, and understand the tools shaping their world, they will not be lost in the chaos. They will be ready to step into their future confidently and thoughtfully.