Computing as a skill is best learn when you are still young and have the capacity to absorb different things quickly. Have you ever wondered at the apparent facility with which young people learn new languages? Have you ever wondered why teenagers can text at speeds that would not shame a competitor in an international context?
This all indicative of the kinds of abilities that you have as a young person to acquire skills. It is not just about having innate abilities to do with age. That would be an ageist attitude to take. It is also about responsibilities and the time to do the work that is needed to develop adequate computing skills.
Having IT skills from a young age is becoming increasingly integral to the career successes of today’s youth, and allows them to do anything from compose essays with word processors to using their internet skills to gain online degrees and engage in constructive academic pursuits with colleagues across the globe. It goes without saying that reading, writing and math are basic skills that are by far the most important, but it seems viable in this day and age that we should teach our children to use a keyboard the same way we teach them to use a pen.