By Nirant Kasliwal:
Welcome. You just clicked a link to reach this article.
So what is a link? What happens when you ‘click’ — click anything, not just the link? Do you want to know what happens when you ‘like’ something? How is the like shared with everyone? All of this works on what we usually call a ‘code’. The act of writing code is called ‘coding’ or put it more correctly, ‘programming’. Needless to say, many of the things you use every moment in your life run on code. A code spans all spheres of life- from your mobile phone to your food processor, from the elevators to the automatic drones.
Coding is the hottest skill, the modern-day language of creativity, and a powerful force in the economy. As technology becomes more and more ingrained in our everyday lives, we have to make a choice: Are we consumers of tech, or are we people who understand it? By learning to code, we build a deeper understanding of the world around us and this can help us automate and improve our daily lives. Even if you never touch coding after learning how, you’ll never regret the glimpse that you got into how technology drives the world.
Code is the superpower of the common man. You can use it to practically do anything — save lives, change the world and surely earn your bread, butter and wine. You can use it to build platforms to promote an idea, product, or cause. This skill helps you build things quickly and cheaply — you do not need to pay for what you can do all by yourself. There are several upsides to acquire this skill, even if you are not interested in technology. It introduces you to an algorithmic school of thought — the ability to solve problems step-by-step. It bestows upon you the ability to break down difficulties into smaller-solvable ones. The skill to analyse and solve problems effectively shall be yours. As a bonus, you also acquire proficiency is solving problems efficiently — saving time and resource. To summarise, it develops mental skills that improve decision making and critical thinking.
Still not convinced? You might find it interesting to know that code teaches you to communicate quickly and effectively. Some of the best programmers are English literature or linguistics majors because of their strong communication skills. In fact, most programmers don’t have computer science degrees at all. Some programmers (including me) even claim that code might have some effects similar to meditation.
Even if you never produce anything usable, you will still gain a new way of thinking, improve upon your logic skills, and stimulate creativity and thoughtfulness. You will make yourself ‘smarter’ in the non-code world by learning how to code. Having no idea how computer programming works in today’s world is like not knowing to read after the invention of the printing press. Coding is the newest form of literacy for the 21st century!
