# Teenage Dopers. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 6, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729 "2011-08-06T13:55:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![chowching](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@chowching](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowching)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/21 "2011-08-07T12:51:38Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Well I’m 14, so probably the youngest here. Really? I didn’t expect someone this young to be here. And your profile says you joined 2 years ago. So that makes you 12 when you joined this message board. Quite young. Probably the youngest ever? XD ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/22 "2011-08-07T12:56:00Z")
I’m 22, started lurking when I was 16, and officially joined just after turning 19. ---
**Author:** ![chowching](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@chowching](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowching)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/23 "2011-08-07T13:03:43Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I would like to see some numbers on this because I was 27 when I joined and now I am ummm..much older (38). The age distribution of this board has seemed to have shifted upwards with me and others. There used to be a number of teenage dopers when I started but now they are in their mid to late twenties with few new ones to replace them. I know there are a few dopers in their teens and early twenties but 20-something and 30-something Dopers used to be the norm and now it is 30-something and older. Did anyone else notice this or am I just imagining it? I’m sure those who have been here for some years now might also have noticed. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/24 "2011-08-07T13:07:38Z")
If years were 18 months instead of 12, I still wouldn’t be a teenager. ---
**Author:** ![Cheerleading\_Dropout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@Cheerleading\_Dropout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheerleading_Dropout)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/25 "2011-08-07T16:05:19Z")
I just turned 14 two months ago. ---
**Author:** ![Blackhawk441](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/76d3ee/32.png) [@Blackhawk441](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackhawk441)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/26 "2011-08-07T19:05:54Z")
I just turned 18. And yes, it seems there is a dearth of us. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/27 "2011-08-07T19:11:17Z")
I thought I was a teenager when I joined, but it turns out I was 20. That was back in _mumble 2003mumble_. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/28 "2011-08-08T00:44:21Z")
I have to say that I’m rather impressed with the teenagers that would be attracted to a board such as this. Kudos to you all. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/29 "2011-08-08T01:35:32Z")
There was a time when the SDMB required paid membership in order to post. I’m sure that this weeded out many of the younger members. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/30 "2011-08-08T02:09:03Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I have to say that I’m rather impressed with the teenagers that would be attracted to a board such as this. > > Kudos to you all. I can’t speak for the others, but I thought there would be dope here. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Blackhawk441](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/76d3ee/32.png) [@Blackhawk441](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackhawk441)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/31 "2011-08-08T02:10:00Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I have to say that I’m rather impressed with the teenagers that would be attracted to a board such as this. > > Kudos to you all. Thank you! It’s nice to be able to ask and answer questions without going to the cesspit of imbecility that is Yahoo Answers. And IMHO/MPSIMS can be very interesting too. I just try to avoid the Pit. 😃 > [@JThunder](#): > > There was a time when the SDMB required paid membership in order to post. I’m sure that this weeded out many of the younger members. Very true. I was going to join several years ago when I first got into Cecil’s column but I didn’t have money or a way to pay online. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/32 "2011-08-08T03:35:27Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > There was a time when the SDMB required paid membership in order to post. I’m sure that this weeded out many of the younger members. Yep, I joined back in the AOL days when I was about 14 (1997ish), but had to sit out all the paid years. ---
**Author:** ![chowching](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@chowching](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowching)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/33 "2011-08-08T11:45:54Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I have to say that I’m rather impressed with the teenagers that would be attracted to a board such as this. > > Kudos to you all. It’s really rather surprising. When I posted this thread, I was expecting that the teens here would be like 17, 18, or 19. I was surprised that someone as young as 14 posts in this board. ---
**Author:** ![chowching](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@chowching](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowching)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/34 "2011-08-08T11:49:32Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > There was a time when the SDMB required paid membership in order to post. I’m sure that this weeded out many of the younger members. Hopefully, that era of pay-to-post is over. Or else, bright young minds won’t be able to share their thoughts. I’m 19 and I still don’t have the money and the means to pay. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/35 "2011-08-08T11:51:23Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Well I’m 14, so probably the youngest here. You’ve been around for a couple years, and your age has always been given as 14. What gives? ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/36 "2011-08-08T12:42:05Z")
Hey! You damn kids get out of here or I’m calling the cops! ---
**Author:** ![chowching](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@chowching](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowching)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/37 "2011-08-08T13:04:20Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > Hey! You damn kids get out of here or I’m calling the cops! Chill sir I’m of legal age. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/38 "2011-08-08T14:02:53Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > There was a time when the SDMB required paid membership in order to post. I’m sure that this weeded out many of the younger members. My Paypal account is still under my mother’s name. :o I let my Charter Membership lapse a couple years ago though. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/39 "2011-08-10T18:19:27Z")
Honestly, I was a bit thankful that the past posting era weeded out a few of the younger folks. I’m not saying this because of their youth; I’m saying this because their youth, relative inexperience, and emotional maturity level had a way of derailing some of the discussions. In a discussion regarding school dress and grooming codes, for example, I remember a sizeable horde of them saying, “I can tell you that in our school, nobody has ever, EVER been distracted by someone else’s clothing or hairstyle! Never!” (Really? How can one possibly know that to be true?) Now, I’m not saying that adults don’t say foolish things on the SDMB. Heaven knows that they do. However, I did see a reduction in some of the more extravagant postings like this once we went with paid membership plans. Having said that, I don’t want anyone to think that I oppose the participation of teenage Dopers. I am thankful that payment is no longer required, and I think it would be great to have some more participation from the younger folks. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729/40 "2011-08-10T19:02:22Z")
My son, now 14, has been interested enough to look in on us, but I told him he needs to wait a couple years. I mention SD now and then; I guess he just wanted to see for himself. I’m pleased and glad that he was attracted to come here to learn, but I’d prefer he be a little older before he has full run of the place and wades into the rather more mature topics. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenage-dopers/591729.md?page=3)