Programming is in fact quite difficult. What makes it difficult is that at its essence programming almost always requires thinking that takes one outside the normal boundaries associated with solving problems. In fact, it may even require defining the problem in a new way. It may require seeing a problem that others don t even recognize. I think it is this factor that lends itself to the notion that younger people are able to better use computers than older people.
Younger people are more willing to color outside the lines than older folks.
Unfortunately in the United States we concentrate our education on methods. That is not true in the real world and it is especially not true when you write computer programs. No one cares what steps you go through as long as you get the right answer. Sometimes some of our wonderful programming tools and programming languages don t help us in this regard. In my view then programming is as much a way of thinking as it is a task.