Debate: Should beginners start with Python or JavaScript first?

I was at a local coding meetup last week and this turned into a full on argument between two guys who've been coding for years. One was saying Python is easier to learn cause the syntax is cleaner and you can focus on logic. The other was saying JavaScript is better cause you see results in a browser right away and it's more practical for finding jobs. I've been learning Python for 3 months now but sometimes I wonder if I picked the wrong one. What do you all think - which language should a total newbie start with?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly_henderson861mo ago

A buddy of mine tried learning Python first and gave up after a month. Then he switched to JavaScript, built a dumb little game that bounced a ball around the screen, and he was hooked. He showed it to his girlfriend and she actually laughed at how simple it was, but he was proud of it. That feeling of seeing something work in a browser just clicks for some people. Python is fine for logic, but if you want to stay motivated, JavaScript lets you make stuff you can actually show someone right now.

abbyg141mo agoMost Upvoted

You said that "feeling of seeing something work in a browser just clicks for some people" and I TOTALLY get that. But I gotta gently push back on the idea that Python can't do that same thing. Python has libraries like Pygame where you can make a ball bounce on the screen too, and it's actually pretty simple. You can even make a basic web game with Flask and HTML in like an hour. The real difference isn't the language, it's that your buddy found a project he actually cared about. JavaScript isn't magical, it's just what happened to make him feel that first spark. Python can ABSOLUTELY give you that same "look what I made" moment if you pick the right project.