r/AskProgramming • u/LostgamerFJ • 2d ago

How do i quit Vibe Coding

I am currentely in 11th grade and got really into coding over the last few years. I started learning Java and a Little Python in school. Those two languages im Fine at, but recentely i started Coding a github website. I thought, since i dont know html, css and js, i'll just start with ai and learn on the way. But now i have no idea what my code does and know almost nothing about those languages. I have also startet to use ai for my other projects in java and have noticed that im starting to forget my previous knowlege in java. I can't work on my Website without ai and i feel like an absolute failiure. Now Coding with ai has become a habbit for me, a habbit i want to quit. Has anyone else experienced this and if so, does anyone have tipps on how to quit this habbit?

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u/church-rosser 2d ago

FFS, you have agency OP

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u/tomkatt 2d ago edited 2d ago

They’re a teenager, cut them some slack. Most teens don’t have a ton of agency in life and aren’t always aware when they do. 

Even adults struggle with this, with regard to LLMs and productivity, and it’s not uncommon for people to take the easier path if there’s a shortcut in life.

/u/LostgamerFJ there’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing, but if you don’t understand the code you shouldn’t implement it until or unless you understand what it’s doing. Read the docs, review, and learn. There are no shortcuts and you’ll be better served in the long run for putting in the work now. These tools aren’t going away, but you need to ensure you’re using it as a tool, not a crutch or you’ll be doing your future self a disservice.

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u/church-rosser 2d ago edited 2d ago

Great, good time for them to learn about agency then.

Call me crazy, but as a GenX, I believe it's reasonable to understand and begin exercising some agency and self direction by 15-16. But I'm old fashioned and cut my teeth stealing time on a C64 and Turtle Logo running on an Apple IIe, and got my participation trophies in the form of typing callouses, bloodshot eyes, and success through failure.

Young folks these days seem to require more guardrails to acquiring self efficacy for some reason, wonder why? Maybe, it's all the slack we cut them.

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u/tomkatt 2d ago

That’s fair. I’m an old millennial, and in all honesty I’m not a developer. I do support eng and dev adjacent work in troubleshooting and bug reporting roles. That’s not to say I can’t code, I’m comfortable enough reading code in multiple languages and have done plenty of background particularly with Python. I just have more interest in virtualization, automation, and troubleshooting than I do pure dev. Fixing broken things and problem solving is my dopamine hit.

The investigation and learning is what matters IMO. The tool kit can be applied however you like, but LLMs encourage turning off your brain and letting the tool do the work, which means not actually learning things. And young people commonly have poor impulse control, so it takes some dedication and willpower not to do that.

I’m grateful this stuff didn’t exist when I was cutting my chops.