Why Does the World Need More Programmers?

Sergio Ribeiro, May 2021

It is not so difficult to answer this question because there is an obvious conclusion: It is a matter of numbers. Look around you, and you will see that the number of electronic devices has been increasing every day. When I say electronic devices, I mean specifically those devices that we can call “smart.”

Virtually everyone today has a smartphone as it is their inseparable companion. We don’t even use the term “cell phone” or “mobile phone” anymore. The smartphone serves to do many things that go beyond making and receiving phone calls. Incidentally, does anyone still do this? Some smartphones are more powerful than desktop or laptop computers.

How many apps do you have installed on your smartphone? Hum! Let’s see WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Google Chrome, Google Play, Calendar, and Camera. Well, the list tends to be longer. And talking about Google Play, you know, there are many programs you can download and install on your device.

And if you stop to think that you need at least one programmer for each program, you can already imagine it is not a small thing. However, more complex applications like Facebook require not just one programmer but a team of them. There, programmers are working on the front-end, back-end, database, and so on. They are there to keep the system running, fix errors, and make improvements. Oh, yes! Of course, also drink coffee! Nobody programs without coffee!

But going back to the electronic ecosystem that surrounds us, it certainly does not boil down to the universe of smartphones. We have smartwatches that can do much more than show the time. They can calculate the distance you take on a walk, count the number of steps, check your heart rate, receive messages, and so on. Think! When we are talking about these features at the bottom, these are programs. And as for each program, you need programmers. Then you can get a sense of demand, right? In your opinion, would you say that the number of smartwatches has increased or decreased?

But don’t stop there! There is a thing called IoT that is filling our homes with smart devices. And because of that, we need programs for alarms, refrigerators, stoves, coffee machines, vacuum cleaners, microwaves, lamps, TVs, shavers, toothbrushes, and many other things. And this list is only going to grow. And what does this mean? Yes, that’s right, more programmers!

Going a little into the business environment, since I started working in the computing area, computers were already a reality in companies. And the use of technology to automate processes has only increased. Companies see technology as a way to reduce costs as well as increase their efficiency and profitability. Thanks to technology, the home office is now a reality. But what does this technological revolution in the business world mean? Yes, it is what you are thinking, more programmers!

I could list several reasons to justify the need for more programmers. However, for the sake of simplification, I repeat what I said at the beginning of this article: It is just a matter of numbers.

If you want to jump into the universe of programmers, maybe you’ll find this book helpful: Computers and Information Processing for Business: Microsoft Office 2019 and Python.