Are We Losing the Joy of Coding? 🤔

Development cycles are getting shorter.

With AI coding assistants like Claude Code and other vibe-coding tools, we can build and deliver projects much faster than before. As developers, this is exciting — we can move from an idea to a working product in days instead of weeks.

But recently, I noticed something about myself.

I stopped keeping up with the latest React Native releases.

I used to follow new versions, read release notes, try new APIs, and experiment with new libraries. I enjoyed understanding how things worked and discovering better ways to build something.

Now, more often, I describe what I want, let AI write the code, review the result, fix a few things, and move on.

The development cycle is faster.

But somehow, I feel less connected to the code.

And I think I've lost a little bit of the excitement I used to have about coding.

Don't get me wrong — I love what AI coding tools can do. They remove a lot of repetitive work and allow us to focus on bigger problems. But there is a strange side effect:

When we stop writing as much code, do we also stop learning as deeply?

Maybe the problem isn't AI itself. Maybe it's how we use it.

There is a difference between:

“Build this feature for me.”

and

“Help me understand how to build this feature better.”

The first makes us faster.

The second might make us better developers.

I'm now trying to find a better balance — using AI to speed up implementation while still making time to explore new React Native releases, understand the underlying technologies, and occasionally build something without asking AI to do everything for me.

I’m curious:

Is it just me, or are other developers also feeling this?

Are AI coding tools making you more excited about development — or are you also starting to miss the feeling of actually coding?