This is a submission for the Future Writing Challenge: How Technology Is Changing Things.
Hey Dad,
Before you scold me for not calling you all week—I’ve got some new tech to geek out about! And trust me, you’re going to love this one. 😁
Now, don’t worry, I won’t bore you with lines of code (though I know you’d appreciate a well-structured C# snippet). Instead, I want to talk about the bigger picture—how tech is evolving and what it might mean for both of us.
🪙 Money Without Banks?
You've always been the organized kind—income gets deposited, bills get paid, and money stays safe in the bank. Simple, right?
But what if I told you that in the future, banks might not even be necessary?
Now, before you call me out for preaching Bitcoin again (and for nagging you about not buying it when it was dirt cheap—you should've 😒), hear me out.
With recent advancements in blockchain and cryptocurrencies, we’re moving toward a world where people can send money instantly, without needing a middleman.
I know what you’re thinking: “But crypto is volatile, and banks provide security!” Fair point. But even traditional banks are experimenting with digital currencies, and blockchain isn’t just about money—it’s about secure transactions, digital contracts, and even ownership records.
🤖 AI: Your Upcoming Junior Programmer?
You've been developing clear, efficient C# code for years. However, what if I told you that AI is also becoming increasingly proficient at that? Developers are already writing code more quickly thanks to tools like GitHub Copilot, which can recommend entire functions from a single comment.
Will coders be replaced by AI? Not at all. It's more akin to having an excessively enthusiastic intern who makes suggestions, some of which are excellent and others of which are totally incorrect. Although AI is excellent at automating tedious coding jobs, it still lacks creativity, insight for solving problems, and the capacity to debug its own gibberish.
But let's face it, wouldn't we have more time to concentrate on the actual problems if AI could take care of the tedious boilerplate?
🔐 Privacy: The Price of Convenience
Remember when we used to joke about tech companies listening to our conversations? Well… turns out, it’s not much of a joke anymore. Our data is the new currency, and companies are collecting, analyzing, and selling it at an insane rate.
With AI predicting our behavior and algorithms deciding what we see, it’s no surprise that ads seem to "magically" show up right after we talk about something. But with emerging threats like quantum computing, even our most secure encryption might become vulnerable in the future.
Does this mean we should go full "off-the-grid" mode? Not necessarily. But being mindful of what data we share and using strong security practices is going to be more important than ever.
💬 How Tech is Changing Us
Beyond all the cool innovations, technology is reshaping how we interact—and not always for the better.
👥 Relationships: We used to call each other. Now, it’s mostly texts, voice notes, and quick emoji reactions.
💼 Jobs: Automation is replacing repetitive tasks, but it’s also creating new jobs that didn’t exist a decade ago.
🏛 Truth & Misinformation: AI-generated content is so realistic now that it’s getting harder to tell fact from fiction. Deepfake videos, fake news, and AI-written articles can easily spread misinformation.
🚀 What’s Next?
The world is changing fast, and we can either adapt and ride the wave or ignore it and get left behind.
🔹 Stay curious—There’s always something new to learn.
🔹 Stay skeptical—Not everything on the internet is true (even if AI says it is).
🔹 Stay secure—Privacy matters, even if it’s inconvenient.
The way I see it, technology is neither good nor bad—it’s just a tool. How we use it is what truly matters.
So, Dad, what do you think? Are we heading toward a future of endless possibilities, or are we just writing more bugs for AI to fix?
Let’s talk soon—I promise not to bring up another blockchain rant (maybe). 😉
—Your Son
Sam
Additional Prize Categories
- Ripple Effects
Context
I usually geek out about tech with my dad, who's a senior .NET developer. So, I thought—why not turn one of our usual discussions into a letter dedicated to him?
Thanks for reading! Please feel free to leave your comments below 😁
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