Explain the concept of parameterized types and their use in programming.

Parameterized types (generics) allow creating classes, interfaces, and methods that work with different data types while maintaining type safety. Instead of writing separate code for each type, you can write a universal code where types are substituted during usage.

For example, in Java, there is a class List<T>, where T is a type parameter. This means you can create List<String>, List<Integer>, etc., and the compiler will check that only objects of the specified type are added to the list.

Example:

List<String> names = new ArrayList<>();
names.add("Ivan");
// names.add(123); // Compilation error

Using parameterized types improves code readability, safety, and reusability.