All skills take considerable effort to become adept at. And contrary to the author's belief, telling kids that programming is "complicated, technically and ethically" is a quick way to lose their interest. Anecdotally, I began programming because I thought it was fun.
The author is correct that programming requires focus, memory, and attention to details. But it is also a lot of fun! Sure, if you're doing it for money it'll rarely be frivolous, but it will still be fun.<p>I suppose it's possible that there are people out there who wouldn't enjoy it, but the same can be said of most activities. Crab fishing, for example, or cleaning the methane toilets.