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Most of the time, movies and games show programmers and coders as hackers. Sitting in a dark corner, with random green numbers floating around their computer screen. In the movies, they’ll press a few buttons on the keyboard and say ‘I’m in!”
But that’s as much representation as programmers get in the media these days, which is very far from the truth.
In fact, there is so much more to the life of coding and programming than that. Programmers are actually one of the most important keys to our society. Without programmers and coders, we wouldn’t be able to live comfortably like we do today. How and why? Let us explain.
1. Programmers and Coders Speak Different Languages
The most interesting thing about programmers and coders is the fact that they speak multiple different languages. It isn’t your typical language like English, which you use to communicate with each other either. Instead, they speak coding language.
Coding languages such as Java, HTML, Python, and JavaScript are languages that programmers use to create their code. In a sense, you could say that they’re speaking a robot language that computers can understand.
Through these coding languages, you can program a computer to do something for you. To explain it simply, computers are incredibly smart, but they do not speak the typical way that you or I do. Instead, they speak purely in logistics and numbers. By learning this language, you are able to tell the computer to do a specific task through a program.
2. Programmers and Coders Create and Innovate Technology
By being able to speak and work with computers, programmers and coders are also able to create completely new technology. Most successful programmers became very rich because they came up with something that made the world a better place.
For example, the creators of AirBnB were a couple of programmers that liked to travel a lot. Sometimes they found it hard to find a hotel or would find homestays that were dirty or had owners that made them feel uneasy. They thought it would be a great idea if people could rent a room for a while, at the quick press of a button, anytime and anywhere. So they coded AirBnB which is an app that does exactly that.
Another similar success story would be Uber. The creator of the app found it difficult to find taxis around his area, and it was double the hassle when he had to wait for one to come by, and frantically hail for them in hopes they see him. He thought that the world would be a better place if people could call a taxi at the press of a button, anytime anywhere, and voila, through innovative coding, Uber was invented to realize his ideas.
The point is programmers and coders are able to solve a lot of the world’s problems by coming up with solutions through coding. As they identify these problems, they can program a computer or an app to solve them.
3. So Much Around Us Is Created from Code
It is hard to imagine the amount of code that goes on in our daily lives. We don’t actually see it, but we are definitely surrounded by it. Apart from the typical examples such as computers and apps, there are many other things that require coding to function. For example, vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, trains, boats and many others require coding to function. Without proper coding, you could step on the gas and the car still wouldn’t move. Essentially, in this case, each piece of technology has a “brain” that is purely made up of codes.
It goes without saying that every piece of media we absorb, be it Netflix, or YouTube, or even our favorite games such as Minecraft, is only possible through coding. As long as it’s an application, it is built mostly on coding.
In fact, coding can run even deeper than that. Without programmers or coders, society would slowly fall. Why? Because everything to do with infrastructure is also based on code. Without coding, banks wouldn’t be able to function, parents won’t be able to work, your housing electricity won’t work right, you might not get clear water, and much more.
In essence, coding is an integral part of our daily lives, and programmers who are able to contribute to making the world a better place are highly in demand because of that. In fact, programmers are so influential in the world that it is one of the highest-paying jobs out there! When you have the power to change the world at your fingertips, it goes without saying that the whole world would be looking for you to help!
Engineering For Kids offers coding classes and camps to students ages 4-14. Contact your closest location to learn more about current offerings!