Programming Is a good skill to learn. Since computers have become indispensable tools in every industry it is better if people know how to program and learn how computers actually work. But teaching programming should not be motivated by the allure of high paying jobs. Those are there in every industry. If you’re at the top of your craft you can expect to be paid well.
Schools often tend to market subjects based on industry trends. But industry trends are fickle. You should not rely on them to make a decision regarding something as important as your career.
Knowing how to program and understanding how computers work is different from having programming as a job. Computers are tools that are meant to be used to perform actual work. An accountant may use a computer to keep financial accounts of their company. A marketing professional may use a computer to promote their organization on social media. A doctor may use a computer to keep records of their patients.
In each case the computer itself is not doing anything but making the life of people doing work easier. In fact a computer is pretty much useless on its own. It can’t create anything of value unless it is used effectively.
A programmer builds applications for people who do the work,but even programmers work on different levels. There are embedded systems engineers that work on the hardware level to create infrastructure which other programmers can use. There are programmers who work on operating systems to provide a common interface for application developers. There are programmers who build web applications that can be accessed from any browser. There are programmers who write apis that can be used by other application developers.
There are database engineers, network engineers , data scientists. All these people work on a different layer of application. Without being concerned about how other layers work.These are highly specialized subjects that are impossible to teach in the classroom unless you devote all your energy specifically teaching computer science.
Having said that elementary computer education is still useful. Even required, because technology plays such a big part in our life. And it’s better to be comfortable around technology than not. Common concepts and behind the scenes look into the technology that you use daily is more than enough.
Computers represent the user interface for a complex set of processes working together. Understanding that gives a person the ability to make sense of changes that happen and how do they fit in the stack.
Not everyone has to be a programmer but everyone should understand how computers do what they do. So that you can work more efficiently with them.
If you’re not a programmer, you should look to minimize the amount of time you spend on programming and focus on the things that you do. Even if you can program. If you want to become a programmer and use your domain knowledge to create applications for people in your industry, then focus all your effort on programming.
Don’t be indecisive as many people who learn different subjects tend to become. Education should bring in clarity of mind and confidence that even if you are not comfortable with a subject you can pick it up if the situation calls for it.
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