The internet in my opinion has nothing to do with maturity. As some here have said, the internet grants nearly complete anonymity, which allows a person to continue his current behavior without any incentive to change it. Leetspeak and poor grammar have nothing to do with maturity; I am 27 years old, I could write a nonsensical post in l33t, and that doesn't change who I am. I CHOOSE to write in full sentences because I feel like it, though on Maple I never do so.
A person's identity is changed and shaped by the real world. Even if you are cooped up in your house with your parents and siblings, that's still more substantial human interaction than what you'll get on the net. When you go to school and work, that's also substantial human interaction. But any way you put it, there must be CONSEQUENCES to your behavior before you learn anything from it. If there is no punishment or reward, you will remain the same; and if you remain the same, your maturity cannot be influenced. I mean, look at me with a straight face and tell me the /b/tards in 4chan would actually talk like that in the real world. They'd get pounded into the pavement before they finished their first sentence, and that would be what they'd deserve.
As for internet friends... I know it's possible to meet friends or a significant other on the net; in practice though, most internet relationships are very informal, and do not last. Most people I know on the internet would not be willing to talk to me on the phone, much less meet in person, and people are more willing to do thoughtless and stupid things to other people on the internet than in real life. I am not saying there are no quality people on the internet, but sifting them from the trash is even harder than in real life.
A person's identity is changed and shaped by the real world. Even if you are cooped up in your house with your parents and siblings, that's still more substantial human interaction than what you'll get on the net. When you go to school and work, that's also substantial human interaction. But any way you put it, there must be CONSEQUENCES to your behavior before you learn anything from it. If there is no punishment or reward, you will remain the same; and if you remain the same, your maturity cannot be influenced. I mean, look at me with a straight face and tell me the /b/tards in 4chan would actually talk like that in the real world. They'd get pounded into the pavement before they finished their first sentence, and that would be what they'd deserve.
As for internet friends... I know it's possible to meet friends or a significant other on the net; in practice though, most internet relationships are very informal, and do not last. Most people I know on the internet would not be willing to talk to me on the phone, much less meet in person, and people are more willing to do thoughtless and stupid things to other people on the internet than in real life. I am not saying there are no quality people on the internet, but sifting them from the trash is even harder than in real life.