Technology runs almost every aspect of our lives (if not all) in one form or another.
We use technology to find love, learn, connect with friends, share and create. Some of us even make a living by leveraging or building technology.
As any Millennial would know, most of the technology we use today is software in our smartphones and/or computers.
So, the people who know how to code software are essentially building the foundation for the future of technology.
Programmers who put code together build software. It's much like how musicians who play instruments make music.
And, nope, it's actually not hard to learn.
You may think of computer programming as something only geniuses and nerds know how to do.
But, a growing number of celebrities, like Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba and Will.i.am (all of whom never studied web development before) agree that we all need to start learning how to code.
Even Obama took part in promoting the Code.org movement by teaching young children how to code and stressing the importance of teaching web development at a young age.
As complex as learning to code may seem, I've come to find that it actually isn't that complex or hard to learn.
Yes, it can be intimidating when you have no idea where to start, but all you really need to do is begin.
Learning how to code today is easier now than it's ever been.
There are so many online courses available (both free and paid), and programs that offer intensive training in computer science and web development.
There's actually a program launching in Los Angeles for anyone who wants to learn to code from my friends over at AngelHack; it's called the front-end immersive program.
They teach you everything you need to do to become a web developer, from basic fundamentals to building out your own app.
I strongly suggest applying for this program if it seems like a good fit. You can learn more about what the program has to offer here.
If you're not in Los Angeles, there are still tons of ways to learn from home. You can start by learning HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
These sites are all awesome (and free): W3Schools.com, CodeAcademy.com, Code.org, Teamtreehouse.com (not free, but offers a 15-day free trial).
So all of this is cool, but what's in it for you? Why learn to code anyway?
I've put together a list of some of the main reasons why I think coding is an important skill to learn:
1. You'll think more logically.
Learning code has taught me how to think in order, and boy has this served me well.
When you code, you learn about preplanning and being objective. Writing code is a really logical process, so doing it often and thinking in code will spill into how you think about other aspects of life.
2. You might get rich.
There's no telling when you might make an app that will blow up. Snapchat and Instagram aren't ideas that a genius came up with. They're just apps that are just simple and useful.
Yet, all of these apps are worth over $1 billion each.
God forbid you don't make an app that ends up being worth $1 billion and you only get chump change for your app, like $1 million. That's what failure looks like in the tech world.
3. It's like having a superpower.
When you master the art of coding, you'll understand how to learn any programming language. This knowledge enables you to create pretty much any idea you can think of.
Imagine what you could create if you had no limits. Imagine what problems you could solve for yourself and for others.
4. You can help millions of people.
One of the powers of the Internet is that you can connect and share with anyone in the world. It's so easy for someone to visit a website or download an app.
So, the potential for the number of people who will use what you create is limited to the number of people who have Internet access.
In other words, millions of people can use what you build. If that's not an exciting idea, I don't know what is.
5. You'll never be broke for too long ever again.
Sure, it's hard to find work as a developer when you're first starting out. But, the number of opportunities for you are endless.
There's always someone who needs a website, has an app idea or just needs help fixing a coding issue. The trick is to know how to network and put yourself out there.
Your skill set will always be valuable as long as society values technology, which pretty much translates to the end of time.
