Should we teach kids to Code?

Technology is one of the most growing advancements in society. One of the fastest-growing technologies is computing and with that comes the growing need for programmers. Currently, 71% of all STEM careers are in computing but only 8% are being fulfilled leaving us an extreme shortage.   Because of this growing need for people to know how to code, kids are now being introduced and taught earlier. Does teaching kids to code cause more benefit than harm? Should children just be children and learn later in life as the current generation had too? Or do we give our children a jump start on their future as well as prepare them for all the advancements occurring in today’s world?

Dash and dot is an interactive coding toy that has to be programmed by the user to be able to interact with their surroundings. (https://uncubed.com/daily/11-toys-to-teach-kids-coding-engineering-and-more/)

Interactive coding toys are now hitting the market and are becoming an increasingly popular toy choice for children. One benefit of these toys is that it is allowing children to self teach themselves how to code, which in turn benefits the child's ability to learn. When children can teach themselves something it allows themselves to be creative and get interested in something. This will make children want to dive in and immerse themselves in learning more. It has been found that the most creative thinkers can engage both sides of their brains at the same time and not just use one side or the other. Through coding toys and interactive games, this allows children to do use their whole brain instead of just half as well as gain creativity.  

This is an image I took of a Computer Science student at ASU working on code

Another way that coding teaches children to learn is by bettering their math skills through better problem-solving skills.  When coding, you face many challenges like figuring out why your code does not work. This makes you have to sit down and figure out where it went wrong and what you can do to fix it. By children learning that at a young age, it allows them to look at a problem and try to figure it out first before asking questions and having answers handed to them.  By learning how to problem solve children can also better their research and decision-making skills. Through troubleshooting your own code you learn how to research forums and how to use the internet to look up problems up which in turn helps with other future projects that you may need to know how to effectively research for. This also ties into their decision-making skills as well because when you code you have to make decisions as to how you want your code to work. Do you want a certain color to appear? Do you want the user to be able to have some control and be able to interact with the code? These are decisions that coders have to make and this is where applying problem-solving skills can be applied to, as well as to many other courses or choices a child may face. 

This is an image of a child thinking. (https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/cognitive-development-in-children/) 

On the other side, is it actually worth it to teach kids to code? Since technology is advancing are we going to have to have to learn how to do it? In an article by Wiliams he addresses that since technology is advancing, we are going to be able to tell our phones and computers to do whatever we want them too. The demand for coders is very high now but will it be an unuseful skill for the current generation of children? AI can currently write with code with comments but it still had errors and has a long way to go before they need for coders to decrease.  Yes, coding is something that people will still need to know-how but if AI does advance far enough to learn how to code for us then you will only need a small amount of people who know code to just maintenance the AI when it crashes making it an unuseful skill for everyone to need to know. 

This image shows the future of AI and how it can code and the future of coding and AI. ( https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/04/at-harvard-adding-ai-to-m-d/)

Another argument for not teaching children to code is that kids should just be kids. Already kids are not going outside and are sitting indoors glued to T.V.’s and tablets.  With childhood obesity on the rise, technology is apart of the problem. Kids would much rather sit indoors and watch youtube videos or play games than go outside and play because they are relying on technology to be their entertainment. Technology is making us lazy and is making our children lazy too. Kids need to go outside and play. We get essential vitamins like vitamin D from the sun and outdoors strengthens our immune systems. Playing outside is also beneficial for kids because it allows for them or run around and release energy giving them better sleep as well as improve their moods.  Children are staying up late watching T.V. or playing video games before bed which makes them stay up later. This causes them to get less sleep and overall they are more tired which makes them less likely to stay focused in classes as well as not want to be active.

This is an image I took of my siblings playing on their tablets. 

In the end, every child should be given the opportunity to learn how to code but it should be done with moderation and should not replace or take away from other activities that benefit a child's learning. Coding should be taught to a child just like how math, language, and other core subjects are. Even with the advancement of technology and the need for coders to eventually go down, coding is just as important of a skill now as tying your shoes or basic addition. Through coding, we are able to come up with new and innovative ideas that help shape popular culture but also our way of living.