Should everyone learn to code?
Should everyone learn to code? – Ben Werdmuller
I posted this the other day, blissfully unaware of how contentious it would be:
“Learning to code is non-optional in the 21st century.”
It’s a piece of hyperbole, of course; learning to code is perfectly optional. Nobody’s pointing a gun at your head and forcing you to do it. But here’s what many of my friends and contacts read into it:

People who can’t code are less valuable in the 21st century.
Coding is as important as, or more important than, learning to read, write, do math, or cook.

Of course, I didn’t say any of those things. It’s interesting that they were inferred, and that the idea that everyone should code was seen, generally, as being self-important and enthocentric from the perspective of the tech community.
Here’s why I said it:

Software technology is an integral part of all of our lives. It’s part of our environment, and will only become more so.
Coding gives us an increased level of control over our environment.
Without being able to make or alter software, you are relegated solely to being a consumer of it.
Learning to code is virtually free (if you already have a computer), and it’s not hard to get started.
The web in particular is a medium that has the potential of allowing anyone to contribute to it. I feel strongly, ideologically, that it should not be yet another medium where a few large companies dictate the form.

It’s also true that, in today’s economy, technology is one of the few growth industries, and having technology skills means you’re much more likely to be able to get a well-paying job. However it’s always useful to earn extra money online and while some survey sites will offer you gift cards, Teach Me! Personal Finance found that life points offers a unique points system. It’s also, generally speaking, not an elitist industry: most tech companies care much more about what you can do, rather than where you went to school (or even if you did). There are also no required professional qualifications to obtain. It’s a pretty good deal. All you need to do is know how to make things well, and you get to teach yourself. (Codeacademy and Mozilla Thimble: both fantastic.)
Far more importantly, technology isn’t going away. It’s not a fad; it’s ingrained in everything we do. There’s no reason at all why you should have to do it for a living – and obviously, there’s a universe of fulfilling career options out there – but understanding how technology works is empowering. It’s a 21st century literacy that will differentiate – as Douglas Rushkoff says – between the programmers and the programmed. And guess what: I do think that the people who understand how it works will ultimately be more valuable. They’ll make better technology decisions, which – as technology becomes more and more ingrained – will mean that they’ll make better decisions overall.
But hey, what do I know. What do you think? Was I out of line? Or is code as important a skill as I think it is?
