Coding for kids: Pros and Cons

In this modern day and age, technology and computers are a crucial aspect of our lives. In fact, they are only getting more prominent and widespread in society and it would be to any individual’s advantage regardless of their age to learn coding. In fact, the UK government introduced coding into the national curriculum in September 2014. This brings up the question whether it’s truly helpful for our kids to learn about the underlying language beneath their digital applications and web-pages. Here are some potential advantages and disadvantages of instructing our children to learn how to code at their tender age.

Advantages

• Acquire problem-solving and critical thinking skills

Coding requires the individual to visualize and create specific functions on the computer. They cannot just haphazardly create it without ample preparation. It can also help the individual to acquire problem-solving skills when there are errors in the code that require the individual to analyze and fix. Sometimes, there is no surefire method for the kids to abide by, thus requiring them to innovate possible fixes to the error. This encourages them to be creative and think critically for potential solutions.

• A universal language skill

Code is essentially a computer language. Thus, teaching a computer language to children is akin to teaching them a second language. This will not only help them become more technological savvy, but it will also help them to learn their spoken languages faster. Through learning about coding and computing, children can learn to creatively express their ideas, learn principles of problem-solving and logic, as well as cooperating and communicating with their peers via programming easier. These computational scenarios are contextually important to the children’s social and daily needs in their respective communities.

• An enriching hobby

If the child has low affinity for generic hobbies such as sports or playing musical instruments, it might be a good idea to expose them to learning computing skills such as coding instead. Instead of spending their time playing video games, it is ideal for parents to teach them to code and try their hand at making their own games instead. It is also far more rewarding and meaningful than other common hobbies such as watching television and gaming. Most importantly, individuals do not require elite genetics such as athleticism or beauty in order to be proficient at coding. Thus, it is not as exclusive as hobbies such as sports that punish you heavily if you fail to win the genetic lobby.

• Acquire essential computer skills

Regardless of your age, possessing adequate knowledge of computing skills is necessary for humans to succeed in modern society. Through attending coding lessons, children are exposed to computer expertise at a young age where they are best at learning and absorbing new information. Thus, coding allows them to better understand and adjust to modern technology and develop their affinity with computers and tech. Moreover, coding is simply the understanding and analysis of complex ideas before ‘communicating’ with the computer. This could prove extremely useful in the long run if these children find jobs that require the abovementioned skills. Your children would then be thanking their responsible parents for allowing them to start young.

Disadvantages

• Coding might become an obsolete skill

Given the volatile and constantly shifting nature of technology, it is hard to tell whether coding is still a desired skill in the future. Some technological experts have discussed that with the advent of manual transmission, is there really going to be a need for coding in the future? Moreover, it is highly likely that artificial intelligence will develop into an autonomous state where they themselves will be capable of writing code

• Kids should hone their basics

There is the matter of opportunity costs where if kids spend their time learning how to code- that is time diverted away from learning how to speak their mother tongue languages; time spent doing math; time spent at the playground and interacting with other human beings et cetera. Such fundamental skills are arguably more important than coding and its highly important for kids to be proficient in them first.

• Excessive Screen Time

It’s not healthy for children to spend too much time in front of computer screens. First off, its harmful for their vision. Moreover, kids should not spend too much time being sedentary. Rather, they should be socializing with friends and being physically active through games such as hide and seek and tag. Alternatively, if sports are not their forte, they could be involved in less physically intensive games such as chess or building sandcastles. Our children should be focusing on building interpersonal relationships and refining their motor skills through playing or other similar activities. This will help them to acclimate to school faster. Some have even made a convincing argument for computers and other electronic devices to be removed from children’s lives in order to encourage them to spend more time being physically active outdoors and interacting with other humans face to face.