Speaking as a "young member", you should also utilize everything you see on this board as a growing experience. I think Jess said it beautifully when she suggested to keep proving the stereotype wrong. My life is dedicated to battling stereotypes and age is just another check on the list. Maturity does not come with age, unfortunately. Age is not the bringer of wisdom. Age is simply a number. However, with age comes more responsibility and more realization. Just as you have grown with this board, you've realized how others are sometimes blaming younger members for trolling, and that's a wonderful thing, Alyssa. It's wonderful to be able to open our eyes and to see the world from multiple view points. But, as you've noticed, some view points can be critically wrong and the best we can do is to correct those wrongs against us, be it passively or aggressively. When it comes to public forums like these, the best way to combat these unfortunate stereotypes is to keep posting with maturity, composure, and dignity.

I once spoke with a man who studied human behavior, and he told me that companies attract more customers when their employees are *sincerely* honest and willing to help. This shows us that people are attracted to dignity and respect. When you have respect for someone, you open your mind to them and you listen to their advice with earnest intrigue. So what does this prove to us? This tells us that the best we can do is to keep posting. Keep maintaing your dignity in all your posts. Keep your composure. Keep maintaining your maturity, and, soon, the stereotypes will fall away. Don't let a couple troll-ish posts ruin your experience. Look beyond that and find a higher goal in helping others with sincere dignity and respect. Like anything else, it will always repay you in the end