Introduction

Let me preface this by saying that I believe everyone can learn to program. Whether you are a CEO of a large organization, or a middle schooler who likes music, coding can bless your life in so many ways.

We cannot afford to lose so many tech jobs to foreign countries. If you take twenty minutes to peruse a certain programming language or technology online, you will see a vast amount of two groups of people: Eastern Europeans and Indians. Not only will you notice how fairly proficient they are at writing English, they are very well versed in key technologies. As a result, many smaller companies will elect to outsource their coding needs to these areas of the world. This decision is costing Americans jobs, and there's no end in sight.

Why should I learn to code?

Analytical Reasoning

There are many benefits to learning to code, especially as a young person. Coding is a way of thinking, and can serve you in any field by giving you the skills to analyze difficult problems. The methodology and approach your mind has to take while coding is unique and fascinating. You will learn to break down a problem into its smallest components, take those components and decide exactly how they contribute to the whole, then you create those components from the ground up to accomplish the bigger task.

Job Market

Now, before you get all up in arms about how you are not going to be a coder for a living, hear me out. How much did you make in high school per hour if you even had a job? How much did you make in your college job as a brand new freshman? How much did you make in your first job out of your undergrad? It's not always all about the money, but in this case, it's a valid consideration. If you take a half hour or an hour a day in middle school and high school to learn a certain topic, you will get really good at that thing by the end of your high school career, would you not? Now imagine designing websites, developing video games, creating the next social media app...all those things are possible for anyone in less than a year, surely. These are skills that people are willing to pay for. Take the time to learn a popular programming language like Java or Python, and you will be much more marketable in any job interview.