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I find that as I get older I have less time to learn the latest and greatest new shiny tech, while I really want to focus on deepening my understanding of topic

I find that as I get older I have less time to learn the latest and greatest new shiny tech, while I really want to focus on deepening my understanding of topics I've already invested in. I feel annoyed when tech changes because I spent time learning the old thing and I can't get that time back. I think the core idea here is that with more demands on my time, I've become more choosy about how I spend it. This study isn't about that. They've found an area of the brain in mice that seems to be related to motivation to make decisions with complex cost benefit analysis. This type of decision making is impaired when under stress, by mental health diagnosis, or, according to the study, by an aged brain. If any conclusion is worth drawing here it's the increased importance of mental health as we age. This is not an argument for all of us to try to keep up with the shiny new language/framework/whirlwind.

abootstrapper 6y ago
Programming and IT in general is such a bummer in that regard. 20 years of relearning how to do the same thing differently wears on you. I learned JavaScript 15+ years ago, and I’m still having to relearn that nonsense every couple years. “JavaScript on the server now!? What? Why? Ok, fine. Here we go again.”
- tartoran 6y ago
  Yes, I agree with the same sentiment. Part of my unwillingness to learn new shiny tech is that it doesn’t spark a deep interest and have to force myself through it. I still do catch up but skip some generations.
- fendy3002 6y ago
  Though I understand that feeling, OTOH usually we can learn it much faster and easier since we know many of the concepts, and many of those are still used (function, request, response, serialization to name a few). Tools however is harder. Elastic, graphql, docker, front end framework (angular, react vue), are very very different conceptually compared to the past technology.
  - tamrix 6y ago
    It's not too hard to pick up new tech when you've been in the industry for a while. You can even do it on the job with some afterwork study. To me the problem is the emphasis some companies place on knowing specific tech. >Must have five years experience in Web development with a focus on front end frameworks eg react/angular and cloud experience (aws preferred) VS >must have two years experience with the following; asp net 5.0, aspnet mvc 5.0, automapper, xunit, tiny ioc and azure Webapps However, typical the good companies have the former. So you can spot it out pretty easy. Although I fear the industry is moving more to specific skill sets and certification. The certificates trend is being pushed harder as it makes a lot of money for these companies.
    - fendy3002 6y ago
      In my country I can easily fake the years experience. If you're good enough at the tools, you can bluff at the interview. Usually at least 3 from 4 companies will continue with the recruitment. With certification, I don't think it'll happen in near future, due to how hard it is to certificate a programmer and how scarce they are right now. Though it's possible for outsourced foreign developers such as India to be required certification.
    - underwater 6y ago
      It's not hard, but as someone who's done it a few times before you lack intrinsic motivation. Something that is fun to people half your age is just work for you.
    - dajohnson89 6y ago
      "afterwork study" for work sounds like "work" to me.
    - pdimitar 6y ago
      > You can even do it on the job with some afterwork study. What this assertion misses is that many no longer want to work in their free time anymore. Even if I love programming ever since 12y/o I can no longer make myself care about $day_job when I can have a proper rest, which is precious and not that much anyway.
- vmception 6y ago
  That's pretty funny but the V8 system rewrote what javascript is while retaining and adding onto the syntax, as you might have realized by now.
- xwdv 6y ago
  Just wondering but if not JavaScript on the server then what were you using previously?
- lowercased 6y ago
  You're using JavaScript? We've all moved on to TypeScript! ;) But yeah, much of the "relearning", I've found, is to work with new sets of tools that solve problems that... we didn't have 15-20 years ago. Or, not to the same degree, at least. And some of those new problems and changes have benefits, some don't, some are solving self-imposed problems, some are "solving" problems that don't have concrete "solutions", only "opinions".
dwd 6y ago
Learning a new tool when you have limited set of current tools is a good investment. But there is a aspect of marginal returns that comes into play here. It's not just the increased demands on your time, but the knowledge that it's ticking away... As you get older you get more critical/anxious about wasting time and more reticent about investing in something that has no compelling return on investment.

abootstrapper 6y ago

Programming and IT in general is such a bummer in that regard. 20 years of relearning how to do the same thing differently wears on you. I learned JavaScript 15+ years ago, and I’m still having to relearn that nonsense every couple years. “JavaScript on the server now!? What? Why? Ok, fine. Here we go again.”

tartoran 6y ago
Yes, I agree with the same sentiment. Part of my unwillingness to learn new shiny tech is that it doesn’t spark a deep interest and have to force myself through it. I still do catch up but skip some generations.
fendy3002 6y ago
Though I understand that feeling, OTOH usually we can learn it much faster and easier since we know many of the concepts, and many of those are still used (function, request, response, serialization to name a few). Tools however is harder. Elastic, graphql, docker, front end framework (angular, react vue), are very very different conceptually compared to the past technology.
- tamrix 6y ago
  It's not too hard to pick up new tech when you've been in the industry for a while. You can even do it on the job with some afterwork study. To me the problem is the emphasis some companies place on knowing specific tech. >Must have five years experience in Web development with a focus on front end frameworks eg react/angular and cloud experience (aws preferred) VS >must have two years experience with the following; asp net 5.0, aspnet mvc 5.0, automapper, xunit, tiny ioc and azure Webapps However, typical the good companies have the former. So you can spot it out pretty easy. Although I fear the industry is moving more to specific skill sets and certification. The certificates trend is being pushed harder as it makes a lot of money for these companies.
  - fendy3002 6y ago
    In my country I can easily fake the years experience. If you're good enough at the tools, you can bluff at the interview. Usually at least 3 from 4 companies will continue with the recruitment. With certification, I don't think it'll happen in near future, due to how hard it is to certificate a programmer and how scarce they are right now. Though it's possible for outsourced foreign developers such as India to be required certification.
  - underwater 6y ago
    It's not hard, but as someone who's done it a few times before you lack intrinsic motivation. Something that is fun to people half your age is just work for you.
  - dajohnson89 6y ago
    "afterwork study" for work sounds like "work" to me.
  - pdimitar 6y ago
    > You can even do it on the job with some afterwork study. What this assertion misses is that many no longer want to work in their free time anymore. Even if I love programming ever since 12y/o I can no longer make myself care about $day_job when I can have a proper rest, which is precious and not that much anyway.
vmception 6y ago
That's pretty funny but the V8 system rewrote what javascript is while retaining and adding onto the syntax, as you might have realized by now.
xwdv 6y ago
Just wondering but if not JavaScript on the server then what were you using previously?
lowercased 6y ago
You're using JavaScript? We've all moved on to TypeScript! ;) But yeah, much of the "relearning", I've found, is to work with new sets of tools that solve problems that... we didn't have 15-20 years ago. Or, not to the same degree, at least. And some of those new problems and changes have benefits, some don't, some are solving self-imposed problems, some are "solving" problems that don't have concrete "solutions", only "opinions".

dwd 6y ago

Learning a new tool when you have limited set of current tools is a good investment. But there is a aspect of marginal returns that comes into play here. It's not just the increased demands on your time, but the knowledge that it's ticking away... As you get older you get more critical/anxious about wasting time and more reticent about investing in something that has no compelling return on investment.