Why does everyone online treat me like a kid (even if I am)
The story
I’m 13, female. I often come online like anybody else, I don’t have social media other than Snapchat and YouTube if you’d even consider that social media. Because of this sometimes I feel a bit of a disconnect. A lot of my peers have apps like discord or instagram. While it’s not a big deal because I never feel out of the loop with my friends sometimes it just makes me feel like I’m not where I should be. Like I’m out of the circle of all the people in my grade, I don’t know the latest things or anything. I don’t have a whole lot of friends too, 1 best friend which I love, a small circle of friends (around 5) and a few acquaintances that I feel too awkward to really be myself around. So sometimes I get lonely or just want to experience something outside of that. Hence I try to go online through websites like this. I have my struggles, that’s why when I feel I have no one to talk to I go online and write them here to get them out. I know I can’t know everything in the world, I haven’t lived long enough. But I find that a lot of people treat me like I know nothing just because I’m young. I’ll vent about something personal on here and I’ve gotten responses that basically say that it’s “not that bad” and “that’s just life”. I know that! I know I can’t have it so much worse! I know that struggles come with life! That’s why I’m so grateful for the things I have but sometimes I just need to get it out! I know how horrible life can be, I know it has twists and tricks, I know what I have is not nearly as bad as someone who doesn’t have a home, or who’s starving or living in a country at war. I’m so happy and grateful for the life I have. I think a lot of people don’t really see kids as mature enough to really think deeply or they don’t know anything. It’s really not true. I know it sounds like I’m just being bratty but I hate it when people think less of me because of age. I don’t know everything but neither does anybody. You who’s reading this doesn’t, if anybody even does read this that is. I hate that quote “you don’t know everything”, I get told that a lot because I’m a child. Because I’m not “old enough” to understand and know. But nobody is. Nobody knows everything. I’m capable of having really mature and deep thoughts but I feel like no one can see that. My friends can but can adults? I don’t think so because every time they seem to think I don’t know anything.
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Points of view
I totally resonate with what you’re expressing. It's true, age shouldn’t define the depth of one's cognition or emotional intelligence; the phenomenon of ageism in intergenerational communication is quite prevalent these days. While your understanding is commendable, it's hard for me to believe that every adult will overlook your insights or wisdom just because of your youth. Personally, I’ve encountered similar situations where my nuanced perspectives were dismissed—particularly frustrating!
Perhaps adults are sometimes layered with preconceived schema. Keep articulating your thoughts, though! 🙂
I think it's as old as time and it will never change :-/
it's normal to feel out of touch when those around you engage more deeply with social media platforms, but i would suggest that feeling disconnected may not solely be about the social media gap. while it's true that adults might sometimes underestimate younger people's capacity for profound thought, it's not necessarily a widespread issue impacting all interactions; more often, intergenerational communication dynamics involve differing experiences and perspectives. i've observed that when adolescents feel marginalized in conversations it's often due to misunderstandings rather than a lack of respect for their intelligence. it's possible that, by focusing on nurturing the relationships you already have, you may find greater satisfaction and understanding without needing widespread digital engagement. though the digital world offers vast information, it also brings certain complexities. staying aware of both sides might help bridge this gap.