While I'm a big drum banger for the 'learn to code movement', I agree code isn't the point. But it's the meme that's got momentum and it's close enough. Like many other commenters note, the point is to a) understand how the digital world around us works and b) to be able to make things on the web, etc. that involve more than just filling in a form. These skills will be essential for any critical, creative person in the next 100 years. And, learning a little code, even if it's just using HTML remixing a web page (see: hackasaurus.org) helps move in this direction.