Internet helps speed maturity.

I began using the internet (GameFAQs message boards, MSN messenger) when I was 12 years old. I made a group of older internet friends and when I look back at some of the conversations, it makes me cringe. My grammar, my lack of capitalization and scarcity of puncuation was appalling. I started playing online games around 13 which I think helped me get a better sense of spelling things normally instead of internet-style (you instead of u and proper capitalization). I joined a clan which exposed me to things no young child should be exposed to such as talk of illegal drugs, sex, etc.. I was also exposed to memes, YTMNDs, 4chan.... I was still young but I think hearing these things helped me mature and the internet has definitely made me "smarter" than most of my peers. I know more common information and have more common sense than a lot of kids in my school. I've been using the internet constantly since I was 14; I'm now one month shy of 17 and I wouldn't go back and change a thing. I'm glad I was born in the age where kids could access the internet because I wouldn't be who I am now without it.