Can Your Child Code?

Over the next fifty years, your child will hear one consistent question throughout their working life, “Can you code?” It’s that simple. Can you type? Became Do you know your way around a computer? Became Can you code?

The ability to code has gone from novelty to necessity, as what was once considered an elective in school is quickly becoming a requirement. Meanwhile, tech is today’s fastest-growing job market.

However, for the supply to meet the demand, America has significant hurdles to jump. A recent Washington Post article discusses the record decline in national academic achievement, pinpointing the problem to two critical fronts.

As you may have expected, one is the significant drop in national test scores, regressing to where they were twenty years ago. The other is a noticeable increase in educational inequity, with lower scores in districts with greater poverty.

Taking into account the time lost to the pandemic, one solution being talked about is emphasizing learning in smaller groups or even one-on-one. However, this kind of tutoring will require significant federal funding.

As a country, we must close the skills gap. So to get the next generation up to speed, it’s critical that the entire community gets involved—not just the schools—to raise money.

The strength of the U.S. economy depends on helping students learn how to code—now. To meet the demand for jobs requiring technical skills, we need to democratize coding and guarantee access to coding instruction for all kids.

It’s increasingly essential that every child develops coding skills to meet the demands of the digital economy over the next decade.

Computer programming and technology are the hammer and nails of this century. And what we’ve found at Tynker is the importance of working together, whether in-person or remotely, sharing ideas, building off other coder’s projects, and inspiring each other to push what’s possible without limitations.

Tech is growing exponentially, but that doesn’t mean your child is destined to sit behind a desk all day. They can get their hands dirty too. Even traditional businesses like farming rely on technology to find better seeds, soil, pesticides, water systems, lighting, and more. That’s a lot of code!

The ability to code will transform your child from consumer to creator. Playing video games is fine, but what if your child could make them? What if they could take something they’re interested in and combine it with technology, maybe even make a career out of it?

In the future, coding will remain part of everyday life, from your coffee maker to your car, while also being a prime catalyst in global projects like addressing climate change and the search for habitable planets.

All these technological advances are written in a universal language everyone can understand and code. Quite literally, computer programming has become today’s canvas to create.

Coding empowers children of all ages to become technology makers by tapping into their ability to bring their imagination to life. Kids and teens who code excel at school in math and science, even reading while developing a skill that will prepare them for exciting future job opportunities.

Parents need to recognize the importance of coding to set up their kids for successful careers. The workforce in 2033 will be divided between those with computer science skills and those without. This will create a divide between creators and consumers, with the former prospering in the job market and the latter struggling.

Also published here.

About the Author

Lomit Patel is the Chief Growth Officer of Tynker, with 20 years of experience helping startups grow into successful businesses. Lomit has previously played a critical role in scaling growth at startups, including Roku (IPO), TrustedID (acquired by Equifax), Texture (acquired. by Apple), and IMVU (#2 top-grossing gaming app). Lomit is a public speaker, author, and advisor, with numerous accolades and awards throughout his career, including being recognized as a Mobile Hero by Liftoff. Lomit's book Lean AI is part of Eric Ries' best-selling "The Lean Startup" series.