Hollywood Spurs Surge in Computer Science Majors

nytimes.com

20 points·clp16··3 comments

Will people actually stick with it this time around, even if it blows up, or will is CS just a fad all over again?

Are hollywood movies really motivating career decisions? I like Pirates of the Caribbean, but Im not about to start a career as a privateer. Im thrilled that enrollment in CS classes are finally increasing, but I temper my excitement when I hear the example Ms Fong. Some advise for all new CS students: don't pursue a degree in CS because its glamorous, but because you enjoy programming and problem solving. Life is too short to do something you do not enjoy.

"Are hollywood movies really motivating career decisions?"

You bet. When Top Gun came out, enrolment in the Navy and Air Force increased substantially. Wall Street in part fuelled the popularity in a career in finance and I'm willing to bet that Rounders was used in part to justify being a professional poker player for many people.

Also, I'm pretty sure that Blade Runner (at least subconsciously) contributed towards me going back to school and getting a masters in machine learning.

Completely correct, but is there not something to breaking the typical stereotypes of the major and have an attractive narrative to being someone interested in CS? CS can only benefit from more people trying it out and seeing if it is to their liking, and they can hopefully bring in new perspectives that are not so traditional.

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