Hey Gen Z, It’s Time to Code!

Trina Stroedecke
Technology Section Editor

When you hear the word “Coding”, what is the first thing you think of? Unless you are somebody who is already familiar with coding languages, you probably associate the word with “difficult, complex, confusing”. That is not the case, however. In the Gen Z generation, everything is available online, and for the most part, physical or paper versions of materials are nowhere near as accessible for us, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learning to code has many negative connotations, but there are so many more positive ones. Coding languages are becoming more and more simplified, so much so that children are learning them as early as middle school. The earlier you start, the faster you can teach yourself another language. Regardless of what career path you take, coding is an essential skill that everyone should take the time to learn.

What are some of these benefits to coding? Well first of all, just like learning any new language, coding languages utilize your logical and critical thinking, as well as strengthening your comprehensive skills. Not only this but coding also assists in visualizing abstract concepts. If you are going into a career path that will use business or mathematical concepts, or even science, then this will be a great help to you. Learning to code will also nurture your innovation. Whether you are an entrepreneur or just looking for a fresh idea in your marketing internship, once you are familiar with coding, you will begin to see the world in a more creative way and see that there are several ways to solve your day-to-day challenges. Lastly, one of the best benefits of coding is the collaboration skill set that you will learn. In most work environments, you will be placed in teams for certain projects or to work for specific clients. Learning these collaboration skills from learning to code will help you to not only collaborate with others but how to give and receive constructive criticism.

Coding is becoming a part of everything in the world around us. It supports us in all we do, as Gen Z is truly a technological age. Technological innovation is the foundation of our global economic system, so knowing a skill set that will depend on it just seems like the right choice. So stop asking “Why should I?” and instead ask yourself “How do I start?”

Contact Trina at stroedka@shu.edu