Since the mid-20th century, computer enthusiasts around the world started developing programming languages as a method to interact with computers. Proposed in 1949, John Mauchly’s Short Code was one of the first high-level and most efficient languages to make the electronic devices understand what tasks the programmers wanted to be done with, and execute the instructions given to it.
However, modern programming languages that we see today were developed recently, which means that there hasn’t yet been a lot of research on whether coding can boost your brain.
But some recent studies have shown promising results, which, although, doesn’t show the increased brain efficiency in a fixed set of numbers or a percentage, but is inclined towards the fact that coding makes you smarter, more intelligent, and increases your problem-solving skills.
How? Let’s find out one by one.
- Coding improves your memory.
Whatever language you are programming in, be it Java, Python, C++, each of them has its own set of syntax, keywords, symbols, and processes. And you, as a coder, need to remember all of them to give your program a run. Memorizing the steps and structures used in programming acts as a workout for the muscles in your brain.
Apart from that, multiple studies done from the early 1990s to late 2010s suggest that intellectually stimulating activities like coding reduce the chances of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s to a large extent.
- Coding improves your problem-solving skills.
Non-programmers often relate coding with just logic and math, but in most cases, it’s nothing but a prejudice. As a programmer, to successfully execute your program, you need to find the most optimal solution to the problem faced by you or by your employer.
From where does the optimal solution arise?
With some practice, and lots of trial and error.
Similarly, one can also state that coding encourages creative thinking, as often, you need to think out of the box to solve a seemingly complex problem in the programming world.
- Coding changes the way we think.
You must have seen nerdy-looking programmers in films and web series, who are always lost in their world, never letting others know what’s going on in their heads. Although the full image is an absolute bluff, some parts are worth believing.
Programmers think; they think a lot!
Modern programming languages allow coders to try multiple ways to find the solution to the problem, which the programmers exploit by diversifying their paths of thinking and approach to problem-solving.
Conclusion
After all these discussions, if you ask me whether coding can push our brain for the better, I would say a big “Yes, for sure.” Just a PC, an IDE, and some basic programming knowledge to make your brain cells pump harder.
But programming isn’t a cakewalk at all. On one hand, where coding skills are never easy to acquire, take time and a lot of sleepless nights to master your snippets, while, on the other hand, it is rewarding for sure.
Believe me, when I say coding is fun, it is. It feels like a superpower to interact with your machine and make it understand what you want, otherwise an unattainable task for non-programmers.
“Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer, should learn a computer language. Because it teaches you how to think.” – Steve Jobs
