Technology has become such a huge part of our lives that it is now almost impossible to live without it! Where in the past even owning a computer was the reserve of people who needed to do complicated things in their jobs or who were seen to have ‘geeky' interests, now a computer, or an internet enabled device like a smartphone is considered an essential, and the internet is used by just about everybody. Technology is only going to become a greater factor in our lives as we move into the future, too, with cars and other modes of transport becoming more and more computer dependent, social media becoming our main source of news, and things like wearable technology and 3D printing revolutionizing all different areas of life.
It is because technology is such a powerful force in modern times that being able to interact with it, or even create it, is an important skill. We all know how to use the internet, but by learning to program we can do so much more with the technology we have. Here are some good reasons why everybody should learn to code!
Kids Are Catching Up!
Children in schools are now encouraged to learn basic programming skills at a very young age, and there are resources and entire programming languages aimed at making it easy and fun for them. As it becomes more and more mainstream in education, those of us who are currently of working age will soon be competing with an army of school leavers who are completely at home with coding!
It Gives You Versatile Skills
If you run a business, work in a profession where you interact with technology or data, or would simply like to add some marketable skills to your existing resume, programming can be a huge asset. You can learn a language geared around working with data, and be able to gain all kinds of new insight into the data around you, for example by learning Python with DataCamp's Python programming classes online. If you have a blog or website, or would like to, then learning web programming languages like JavaScript or HTML 5.0 will help you improve your site. Even if programming skills are no longer strictly necessary for developing sites, you'll be able to do far more innovative things!
It Is Accessible
You don't need to go on expensive training courses or to college to learn the language you choose, or even buy those big, scary looking books. There are a vast array of resources online to teach you, many of which are free. As you begin to experiment you will also find there is a big community out there that is more than happy to help you with your code, and you can get involved with some really interesting open source projects.
Whether you learn as a hobby, a way to improve your employability, or to help in something you currently do, learning at least one programming language will help you better understand technology, and ensure you don't feel left behind!
