I think kids are recruited because they are disadvantaged in some way - economically, academically, etc. and are presented with a notion that the military is their only option to "escape". I don't think kids dream of killing because they see movies, I think they dream of the camaraderie, wanting to look like & talk like those they see in the movies and to fight against bad forces in the world. Only 10% of the military people actually engage in combat [0] (was a stat from when the US had troops in Afghanistan).
If the trades advertised as much as the military there wouldn't be shortages of electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, etc. Some of those careers are just as highly technical as programming and might pay just as much (sans stock options). Hollywood doesn't make movies about plumbers though.
That's the motivation to join the military, but people would be less willing to join and more interested in alternatives if the reality of war wasn't obscured by mass-media depictions.
If the trades advertised as much as the military there wouldn't be shortages of electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, etc. Some of those careers are just as highly technical as programming and might pay just as much (sans stock options). Hollywood doesn't make movies about plumbers though.
[0] https://www.thesoldiersproject.org/what-percentage-of-the-mi...