My advice to 6-18-year-olds who want to learn to program

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 21:03:44 +0000

I’ve been programming, more for fun than anything, since 1981. I was 6, and my Uncle helped me learn BASIC on the Commodore VIC-20 he bought that sat on his kitchen table.

https://vimeo.com/797177361?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

(No, I didn’t write programs like this when I was SIX. But this is my favorite VIC-20 program of all time. A random maze generator from a magazine listing in the early 80s.)

If you’re somewhere between 6 and 18 years old, programming is a tool you can have in your toolbox. Today. There’s A LOT of sensational information on the internet today. I’m looking at you, social media…

Ai on Michael Doornbos

My advice to 6-18-year-olds who want to learn to program