When I was a teenager (which was not long ago), coding or being technical in general was entirely uncool, but widely acknowledged as powerful. People would come to me asking if I could "hack" various things ranging from friends Facebook accounts to banks. Teachers would ask you for help if things broke. At one point, the principal called me into his office to ask if I could help him trace a threat posted on the Internet (after notifying proper authorities and presumably trying every other lead to do his job well and protect his students).

I'd say the problem is less that being technologically adept is low-status, and more that the problem is that being technologically adept/geeky/mathematical/mechanical is considered unfeminine.