[adjwilli]

If you're 17 and already a decent programmer, my best advice to you is to have some fun and exercise. Seriously you'll undoubtablely be a great programmer if you keep at it. But you might have regrets about how you spent your adolescence only programming. Get out, go to the gym, and learn to talk to different people. With the advantages you have of having your knowledge so young, it's best to focus on how you can compliment that to become a great, well-rounded person and also a great programmer.

[shantanubala]

Although I wouldn't jump to assume that he isn't already an active person, I will share a bit of my own experience (as someone who recently turned 18):

Try to limit your time working with computers. Really. I used to waste a ton of time installing new Linux distributions, customizing my desktop, learning how to use vim, learning new programming languages, etc. Not that this was bad in any way, or not enjoyable. But did I really need to spend as much time as I did?

I had a conversation with a few of my friends that got me really reconsidering a lot of this. One of them asked me, "What do you like spending your time doing?" To be honest, my favorite thing to do is be with other people. Or at least, the most rewarding and vivid memories I have were with others. Programming can very frequently turn into a solo journey that consumes hours of my time. It's fun, but also isolating.

If you limit your time with your computer (say, a max of 1.5 hours per day unless you're doing homework -- this will vary from person to person, but you have to be honest with yourself), you'll do more of what you actually enjoy doing while you're on a computer, and you'll also find opportunities to do more of what you enjoy off of it as well.

I surf Facebook less, I spend less time needlessly checking my email, and I only use HN or Reddit as a break from doing projects. That's how I make things more interesting for myself, and I also wind up going out a lot more than I used to.

[petercooper]

I had a conversation with a few of my friends that got me really reconsidering a lot of this. One of them asked me, "What do you like spending your time doing?" To be honest, my favorite thing to do is be with other people.

I just want to balance out your generally awesome response by noting that they may not be wired in a way that your comment is good advice (despite it probably being so for 90%+ of people) and that that's OK if they want it to be.

Now in my 30s, I don't regret a single second spent geeking out or learning things on my own earlier in life, but I do regret the mental anguish of thinking I "should" do X or "must" do Y because "that's what normal/healthy/sane/whatever people do." It just turns out I'm introverted and love a lot of time alone working. Now I'm thriving having embraced that. (I'm happily married, have a kid and large family too, so I'm not a Hikikomori or anything ;-))

[zumda]

Just to pile on another "me too" here. I fully agree that you should limit what you do, no matter what. I, for example, always tend to overdo things. For example I once was heavily into Starcraft 2, but played so much that after just 2 weeks I had enough and haven't touched it since.

Limiting yourself can be refreshing and ensure that we will still like the things we do in 10 years.

And beeing also a fellow introvert, I have to say, not geeking around on the PC doesn't have to mean going out with friends (though it should occasionally... ;)). There are a lot of great books and websites out there with fantastic content. For example I never knew so much about the whole skeptics movement (and the science behind it) without limiting myself from geeking out.

Limiting yourself can be a great thing!

[petercooper]

I fully agree that you should limit what you do, no matter what. I, for example, always tend to overdo things.

Luckily I don't have this problem anymore. Being married and having a daughter means there's at least several hours a day I'm chasing people around, changing nappies, cleaning the house or going out and about. Makes going back to work quite the pleasure in a way ;-)

[toutoutastro]

Yeah I'm thinking that way these days!