Kids shouldn't be forced to code, but find what they want to do and see if they like it. I myself, am 15, and I taught myself through various resources. I'd say that I've improved my life for the future by learning 5 programming languages already.
As a developer myself, I don't think it's fair to be branded as a "dull weirdo" just because I write software. I seriously hope this article is link bait, designed to be offensive and provoke a reaction, otherwise this author is dangerously misguided.