I didn't give up everything in life to be a programmer, but it was my passion (and it looks like it's this guy's passion as well). It is fun. I still played outside, had friends, and lived a childhood. What I got out of it are skills that are in demand, a head start on life, and adult, mature friends who kept me out of trouble and helped me build a fun, happy life for myself.
I owe everything to programming. I was a kid from a small town in Alabama and now I'm a happy software engineer in Los Angeles. I got to go to the first Clojure Conj conference when I was 16, speak at the second at 17, and get an internship that led to a job at around the same time. I met the best friends I could have ever met through it and have had more fun that I could have ever imagined having as a direct result of it.
That said, we're not entirely at odds. It is important to keep yourself healthy and such and not let it completely take over your life. I just felt it important to provide a different perspective on the matter.
When I was your age I had days and even weeks during my summer breaks when I would get bored out of my mind. Believe it or not there's some benefit in that. It allowed me to find new ways to entertain myself and definitely boosted/developed my creativity. Try to get bored every once in a while, it feels nice :)
Absolutely. But the best programmers are the ones who never wanted to do it for the money anyhow (and got into it simply because it's interesting and enjoyable).
Moderation is key to everything. However...
You can have it all. Being passionate about something breathes life into all aspects of you and the people around you. It's a lot more fun to be talking to a date or a friend at a party who spends his/her time doing something passionately (even obsessively) than someone with no direction and moderate/little dedication. Some personalities are prone to doing things to excess. You see it with athletes, musicians, programmers, and others. Not that all people in those fields are like that, but it's better than devoting your energies to something objectively unhealthy, such as drinking or watching TV.
That said, do remember to eat well and sleep. And see the sun once in a while, and talk to people. Then get back to your hobby/passion/etc as time permits.
Amen.
Your thoughts are a great extension of what I had in mind, agree with everything you said.
However, I used to write code for fun when I was a kid. I still went out with friends, played football, got girlfriends, and did all the usual rebellious teen stuff. However, my downtime (between gaming, watching TV, and other stuff) was spent writing websites and scripts. By thirteen, I was running a fairly sizable web forum, and had written a few addons for vBulletin (albeit, fairly crappy ones). I would have LOVED to work in a real company, working with real developers, and having the chance to work with people that will tell me exactly where I'm going wrong.
I've worked in a few offices where we've had some work experience kids come in, and some that have worked as a part of an apprenticeship. They love working in a real office, and even harsh employers make it as fun as possible.
My parents said similar things to me, and I grew to resent them for it.