In a present that is continuously trending towards digital curation, by not developing one’s digital ability, one is solely sabotaging themself. Although as a society our diversity of skills is our strongest feature, it goes without saying that our world is entering a more technologically connected age (if it’s not already within it). I am not someone who believes that humanities students should be forced to code. However, I think it is in the best interest of all students no matter the discipline to be diverse and multifaceted in their forms of study. This means that STEM students should be taking humanities classes to develop their critical thinking and cultural awareness as much as it means that humanities students should be developing their technical abilities and quantitative analysis. Both disciplines require each other to fully reach their highest potential. This is pointed out by Matthew G. Kirchenbaum in his web article Hello Worlds:
“More significantly, many of us in the humanities miss the extent to which programming is a creative and generative activity”.
Matthew G. Kirschenbaum
As a Computer Science and Studio Art Major, maybe my words above hold bias. However, I truly think that each form of creativity builds upon each other. Through my experience studying Computer Science, I have gained coding experience in many different languages and forms. I am very drawn to web design and User Interface, which I believe is reflected by my coding languages of choice. I am mainly versed in Python, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and the like. For this reason, I chose a medium difficulty CSS tutorial and a Medium difficulty JavaScript tutorial. Both were very fun and helped me learn each language from a different perspective.
To put it simply, coding and humanities build off each other by supporting what the other discipline lacks. Both are equally important facets. Here’s one short example:
I am coding right now! Look at me!
Don't look at this...Okay.. Look at me.. Even though I'm small :o
As you can see, by using my knowledge of code I am able to integrate a humorous narrative into my work. Below is a look into the code itself, done in HTML.
So yes, I certainly believe that you should learn how to code. Even if it’s just to make your emojis look smaller.
4 thoughts on “Yes, You Should Learn To Code – Aiden Johnson”
Leave a Reply to Gabriel Cohen Cancel reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Aiden, I love your emphasis on the mutual importance of both the traditional humanities and coding. I appreciate your way of thinking in that each of the two subjects compliment each other and learning one can help with the other. Your background in both CS and art strengthens your post and it proves your point, that coding is important and can be very useful for a humanities student.
Hi Aiden,
I really appreciate your blog! I thought your opinion on whether or not humanities students should learn coding was really considerate. I liked how you shifted the question by stating how STEM students should also take humanities courses. This is because your response does not feel like an attack on only Humanities students, but you make it known that it is like a mutual exchange where both STEM and Humanities students can learn a lot when mixing the two subjects together.
I like how you make a strong and encouraging case for why coding matters—not just for those already interested in tech, but for everyone. The way you explain how coding skills can open up possibilities in different fields is inspiring, and your tone makes it feel like something anyone can start learning. Great work!
I really like how you framed coding and the humanities as complementary rather than competing fields. Your point that both disciplines help fill in each other’s gaps shows real openness to multiple ways of thinking. The coding example made your argument really fun and approachable. it demonstrates that coding doesn’t have to be intimidating, but can also be creative and fun.