Trouble seeing, pain, and stiffness are some of the things that can make it harder to program as you age, as Kate Gregory discovered. But they aren’t inevitable, and there are solutions like changing fonts, using glasses, and rearranging the office layout that can help. Some older programmers’ mental concerns included a lack of motivation and cynical feelings. According to Gregory, exercising and getting good sleep help to keep the abilities needed as a developer.
Kate Gregory gave a talk about continuing to program as people age at NDC Tech Town.
There’s a lot of pressure to stop programming as you get older, Gregory said. Many people move into management, or change careers entirely, or retire. She wants to still write code, and she wanted to explore what it is about getting older that can make it harder to remain a programmer:
As I looked into it, I came to understand there are things you can do in your 20s, 30s, and so on that will make a difference, not just in the moment, but accumulate over time to give you a much healthier and happier old age.
Gregory did a survey to explore ageing for programmers as part of preparing her talk, and hundreds of developers, of all ages, responded. She asked about body issues, mind and brain issues, discrimination, and more:
The number one body concern of older programmers was eyesight, which surprised me, along with pain and stiffness. The number one mental concern was a lack of motivation and feeling cynical.
Sometimes a difference in your body can make it harder to work, but not all body differences actually impede writing code, Gregory said. She gave an example for people who find stairs hard. If you work in an office with all the meeting rooms on a separate floor from the offices, and all the coffee areas on another floor entirely, going up and down those stairs all the time may be a big issue for you, she said. That’s not so much a problem with your body as it is a problem with your workplace, Gregory argued.
Specifically for eyesight, that can make it hard to see a screen and so on, the survey respondents reported changing font, having glasses, and some people had laser eye surgery:
It’s perfectly normal to have different glasses for different tasks, in my case for coding and for driving.
Gregory suggested getting plenty of Vitamin A to help your night vision.
The respondents didn’t report taking action around mood issues, perhaps because they didn’t know that they could do anything about them, Gregory said. She decided to do some research on this:
My research shows it’s not typical to get grumpier and nastier as you age: most people’s personalities intensify rather than flip.
Gregory mentioned that some people react badly to losses and disappointments during their life and can end up pretty miserable: the more control you have over things like your career and your health, the more you can avoid that situation.
People who believe they can still do most of what they want to do are happier than those who have had to give up a lot, Gregory concluded.
InfoQ interviewed Kate Gregory about things developers can do to continue to program as they age.
InfoQ: How can programmers keep their health and condition in good shape?
Kate Gregory: I’m sad to report that study after study shows you have to exercise. I think we all wish that wasn’t true. But being active improves your stamina, lowers your pain and stiffness, boosts your immune system, and even helps you to learn!
You should also eat fruits and vegetables, to help your night vision, and gain the benefits that Vitamin C and fibre bring.
InfoQ: How important is getting good sleep?
Gregory: It’s absolutely vital. One study on sleep and subjective age found just one month of good sleep made people feel almost six years younger - and just two terrible nights made them feel almost five years older. Sleep is when we heal and often when I solve a lot of my problems.
It’s normal to need less as you age, but it’s also normal to need more -- people who need more sleep aren’t lazy or sluggish, they just have a physical need for more sleep. Get as much as you need and you’ll be able to do all you want in the hours you’re awake.
