Job offerings look for "engineers" while they mean coders. Young person who think he/she does not count as engineer will pass over that job, despite being fully able to get it and work there. "You are not actually engineer" is bad advice in current job market.
(I used to be that young person and used to pass on opportunities because of superficial reasons like that.)
Better for competition who gets the job with the same qualification and skills maybe, better for you personally (in both terms of what you learn and how good jobs you get) - no.
I have an actual engineering degree and write code that controls some sophisticated hardware. Am I allowed to be called an engineer and not an artisan or whatever?
As my dad always says, "you can call me a jar, as long as you don't smash me to bits". Since Slavic proverbs don't always translate well to English, it might be best to clarify: what you call yourself is not as important as what you do.
What @sgt101 wrote about measurements is an important and insightful point. Does it mean we can't call ourselves engineers? That's a discussion that won't be resolved any time soon. Personally, I care more about the job itself, than about the label you slap on it.
I don't even have a degree and I write web stuff and I still call myself an engineer.
We "design, construct and test structures, materials and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety, and cost."
Anyone who doesn't take a systematic approach I suppose might be an artisan, but the vast majority of software engineers I've worked with in my career at least attempt to use a systematic approach of learning and building processes.
(I used to be that young person and used to pass on opportunities because of superficial reasons like that.)