do we want our kids doing this stuff?

[jad]

My son is going to be 2 in a fortnight.
Lately i've found myself wondering whether when he's 15 and comes in saying 'I want to be a programmer!' i would be happy or sad.
We all want the best for our children and i'm wondering, although this is the field i'm good at, and the field i feel naturally comfortable with, do i feel it is the right thing/best thing for him in the future ...

I currently don't own a PC at home, and i'm not necessarily Techy-friendly at home at all (we bought a video player last year, and that is about as high tech we get), but should i buy one and let him use it now so that he gets ahead with computers early, earlier than me for instance, or should i hold it off and give him the chance to pick a career/hobby/ability not linked to computers.

hmm ... any thoughts?

 

[algernonsidney]

There is nothing wrong with encouraging kids to be good with computers. I would NEVER encourage someone to choose this area as a career.

Chris

 

[suramach]

Pursuing a career in programming or software development in US is dangerous/suicidal at this point. I would never recommend this for people who are average. If you are exceptionally talented and can invent something new, it is fine. Reason: the current downturn has been bad for sw developers and QA folks. Lot of Fortune 500 companies are outsourcing their IT development work to countries like India. A typical 5 years experienced programmer costs around $100K in US and the same person can be hired for $30K in India. Companies like HP, Cisco, Network Associates and Oracle have made a strategic decision to send as many work as possible to India. I have seen job ads in the local papers inviting QA engineers to apply for jobs in Bangalore. Also Indian companies like TCS, Infosys, Wipro are agressively going to US companies and marketing their services. With the revenue in decline all the companies like the idea of cutting their costs by 66% to remain in black. So what happened to chip making and consumer electronics (all jobs were shipped to Taiwan and Malaysia) in the 80s is happening to Software Development and call center industries. The middle class working Americans are squeezed by this process. Mind you, all these jobs would not return when the US economy recovers. The CEO will be happy as they can get fatter bonus due to reduced cost. Only job that are safe in US are Sales, Marketing, HR, handful hw/sw jobs, Network and System Admin. Even cust support are being outsourced to third world.

 

[petey]

Give the kid LEGOS, and lots of 'em! Then, every time you step on one of the sharp, plastic bricks late at night as you stumble to the fridge to get a drink, instead of cursing in pain, smile with the assurance that your kid is gaining the capacity to design complex systems, no matter what the field.

http://www.drpeterjones.com/

 

[shaunk]

The titantic struggle for me with my 6 year old boy is getting him off the Playstation and on to something healthy.
At the moment I've employed an alternate days routine - Playstation one day....down the park with me the next.
I worry about him on the Playstation for the same reasons I worry about myself being a professional programmer....too many hours slumped in front of a screen...bad for the back...bad for the eyes.
I myself am encouraging my son to join a profession where computers are a tool of trade..not the whole trade.

I sympathise with Suramacs post..same thing in Australia...TCS has taken over the market. We give enormous incentives for multinational companies to setup and they turn around and hire in slave labour from India. They pay these guys peanuts and cram them into rooms like battery hens. Whats worse, they are polite and competent and you couldn't meet nicer fellows.
Not sure where it's all heading.

 

[suoirotciv]

Here in the Philippines

when i was just a kid, me and my fellow kids play some sports (what i mean is that we use our body to play) the good thing is that we are more healthier and fitter, because our body was exercised.

but today, as many kids are playing computers, where they only use their arms to hands. most of the kids are sicker today.

its like reading and watching a television. though we can learn much from watching tv, but reading is still best for everybody. for while reading, we can use our imagination on what is really happening in what we read.

pardon me but i cant explain it too well, i'm not good in english Please pardon the grammar.
Not good in english.

 

[infinitelo]

This is what i did. my son is now 18, but when he was about 7 i gave him an old radioshack computer(big grey box) and a book and left them alone, as soon as he could copy the programs to keyboard he started playing with programming.
now he knows flash,html,java. when my younger son turned 7 i gave him a pentium133 with lynux he's 11 now and you should see what he can do.
i dont know what is right for kids and computers. but i dont think pushing them is the right thing. i would rather see a kid playing with basic(with line numbers) than shooting the monster. if it is to be it's up to me

 

[jad]

every kid on the block will be able to do computers in 10 years time ... you'd have to be very good at it in order to make it a profession ... it seems more likely to me that the need for training in other professions seems paramount, especially if i want the best for my son.