Programmers ought to have a lot less hubris about their subject. The difference in difficulty between imperative languages is not as large as you think - and changes depending on the problem domain.

Networking enables the Internet in much the same way the internal combustion engine enabled modern transportation. Yet apparently only one of these topics is considered reasonable for a 14-year-old to study?

I find it baffling.

Whether two technologies have analogous roles in two essentially unrelated systems has nothing to do with their teachability to 14 year olds. Some things are just harder. Though in this instance, they could both be taught to talented kids well below 14.