the *12 year old* insult

[Hamish Durie]

*sigh* being of a young-ish age I am always getting stick for being well young, anyway why do people use the *what are you like 12* insult whenever something is seen as juvenile when all(except for 1) 12 year olds that i know are nothing like the 12 year stereotype that most people have in their minds.

14 btw

 

[Daystar Clarion]

It happens to all of us. Don't worry, you won't be young forever.

The people who mocked you will be dead before you, so there is an upside.

[sub]Just don't go antagonising their graves, people don't seem to like that for some reason.[/sub]

 

[wooty]

People just like to insult, I'm only 23 but even I've had people around the 12-15 year old bracket calling me "grandad". I'm afraid it happens on both sides of the spectrum.

 

[DEAD34345]

Generally, the kind of people who use the "what are you like 12?" kind of insults are the people with mental ages far below that. Just ignore them, and be safe in the knowledge that you're probably more mature than them even if you are 12.

 

[Grubnar]

What?

I am sorry, but I do not understand what you are trying to say here. What is your point?

Form your thoughts into words. Then write them down. Then read them. Outloud. Then make any changes you think are needed.

 

[badgersprite]

You're complaining about this? Lol. What are you, like, twelve?

[sub]see what I did there? I'm so witty[/sub]

 

[Evil Top Hat]

I've been posting on various different boards for years. Every time I look back on the old posts I made back then, I get a tinge of embarrassment, because it's so easy to tell from the language I used, the way I structured and punctuated my sentences (ie: poorly) and the way that I used to talk to people in general conversation, that I was young.

I would make jokes that an adult simply wouldn't find funny, I would try to form opinions on issues (because I saw all the other, adult posters around me doing the same) that I knew nothing about, and ended up saying a lot of stupid and arrogant things.

I had no idea I was coming across in such a childish way at the time, but looking back I can tell in a second that I could only have been around 13 when I wrote those comments, and if I can tell now, then those other posters could tell at the time. When I wrote all of those posts I was convinced that I was mature for my age, and couldn't see the problem with what I had written, it's only after a lot of growing up that I've realized how dumb I was.

It doesn't matter how mature you think you or your friends are, because if you're still at a young age, then you are still immature in comparison to an adult, and people WILL be able to tell how old you are from your posts, even if you see nothing wrong with them. It's not a bad thing really, age doesn't make what you say any less valid, and immaturity is unavoidable when you are young, but people can still tell, and will try to use it against you.

 

[hotacidbath]

I've been posting on various different boards for years. Every time I look back on the old posts I made back then, I get a tinge of embarrassment, because it's so easy to tell from the language I used, the way I structured and punctuated my sentences (ie: poorly) and the way that I used to talk to people in general conversation, that I was young.

I would make jokes that an adult simply wouldn't find funny, I would try to form opinions on issues (because I saw all the other, adult posters around me doing the same) that I knew nothing about, and ended up saying a lot of stupid and arrogant things.

I had no idea I was coming across in such a childish way at the time, but looking back I can tell in a second that I could only have been around 13 when I wrote those comments, and if I can tell now, then those other posters could at the time. When I wrote all of those posts i was convinced that I was mature for my age, and couldn't see the problem with what I had written, it's only after a lot of growing up that I realized how dumb I was.

It doesn't matter how mature you think you or your friends are, because if you're still at a young age, then you are still immature in comparison to an adult, and people WILL be able to tell how old you are from your posts, even if you see nothing wrong with them.

Exactly! I thought I was extremely mature and adult when I was in my teens, especially compared to my peers. Fact is, when we're young we like to believe that we're more mature than those around us but chances are that you really aren't. I thought I was more adult than everyone I wasn't friends with and I bet that they all thought they were more mature than me. I still have an old livejournal floating around from when I was 14 and going back to reread it makes me cringe. It's even worse when you talk to adults who knew you as an early teen. As much as I wish I was better back then, I realize I was pretty annoying especially when I tried to act grown up. The reason people say that is because we've all been there and we all realize how silly we were looking back.

 

[Fbuh]

Truthfully, most twelve year olds that I've met are stuck up little bastards who just need a whack upside the head. However, the educational system in my county is extremely poor, so I don't really blame the kids.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

It is because 12 is not used as an absolute moment in time but rather an abstract classification of a young person in the throes of puberty. This category contains people that are prone to emotional outbursts, who have difficulty in a wide variety of social settings and yet generally think they know better than those around them and/or the belief that no one else could understand "what it's like".

If use a similar slur it isn't because I truly believe them to be 12 but rather that they are acting in accordance with my description above. You can "act like a 12 year old" at any age.

 

[Comando96]

I don't insult someone according to their age because I was a 12 year old once... and quite intelligent.

On rare occasion I will insult someone by calling them a 3 year old... but that is if they can't type... not intelligence based. You can tell if someone is native to another language and between just... garbage.

 

[Jamieson 90]

If you happen to be a polite, well spoken mature teenager then unfortunately you get labelled as the complete opposite due to how the rest of your age group acts. It is wierd though because in my experience I have never relly come across the sterotypical loud annoying kid on the mic.

That may have something to with playing on the PC, and playing games with steep learning curves. The young kids I have encountered have usually been mature and knew what they were talking about, and I don't think I ever remember one swearing or being rude. I suppose then this is just my account pointing out that there are actually some good kids out there.

As for the high voice, all young kids have that so what do you really expect? Its not like its their fault and its not like they can do anything about it. Sure I can see it being annoying if the kids screaming down the mic but like I said, I have not experienced that, and a kid speaking normally aint that big of a deal. Although sometimes it hard to tell whether its a boy or a girl speaking lol.

As for the "what are you 12?" insults, just ignore them, there can be some sad people on the internet who get pleasure out of name calling and bullying others. It seems even more sad when the person actually knows they are speaking to a young person which in my eyes makes it worse. They have to pick on younger people to make themselves feel better which agian is just sad.

 

[Erana]

Twelve is a very interesting age these days because one at that age hasn't quite assumed the mantle of being a teenager, but is old enough to really begin interacting in society as a young adult rather than purely a child.

Asking, or rather suggesting that someone is twelve implies that said person is inexperienced in mature interaction, but should still be held accountable for the shortcomings of their behavior.
Insisting that someone is at an age younger than 12 begins to say, "You don't belong here in the first place," rather than, "Shape up your act."

At least on the general internet, anyway. I find its a different scenario in online games.

 

[dyre]

I've been posting on various different boards for years. Every time I look back on the old posts I made back then, I get a tinge of embarrassment, because it's so easy to tell from the language I used, the way I structured and punctuated my sentences (ie: poorly) and the way that I used to talk to people in general conversation, that I was young.

I would make jokes that an adult simply wouldn't find funny, I would try to form opinions on issues (because I saw all the other, adult posters around me doing the same) that I knew nothing about, and ended up saying a lot of stupid and arrogant things.

I had no idea I was coming across in such a childish way at the time, but looking back I can tell in a second that I could only have been around 13 when I wrote those comments, and if I can tell now, then those other posters could at the time. When I wrote all of those posts i was convinced that I was mature for my age, and couldn't see the problem with what I had written, it's only after a lot of growing up that I realized how dumb I was.

It doesn't matter how mature you think you or your friends are, because if you're still at a young age, then you are still immature in comparison to an adult, and people WILL be able to tell how old you are from your posts, even if you see nothing wrong with them.

Exactly! I thought I was extremely mature and adult when I was in my teens, especially compared to my peers. Fact is, when we're young we like to believe that we're more mature than those around us but chances are that you really aren't. I thought I was more adult than everyone I wasn't friends with and I bet that they all thought they were more mature than me. I still have an old livejournal floating around from when I was 14 and going back to reread it makes me cringe. It's even worse when you talk to adults who knew you as an early teen. As much as I wish I was better back then, I realize I was pretty annoying especially when I tried to act grown up. The reason people say that is because we've all been there and we all realize how silly we were looking back.

Haha, I'm on the same boat as you two. Thinking back on it, I'm shocked how tolerant my teachers were at some of the bullshit I considered to be intelligent and mature statements at the time. I guess they were just used to seeing it in every class they dealt with!

 

[Giest4life]

Ok, see, some of the stuff I did at 12, or 14, or 16, or 18, was just down right stupid. I don't know what you did, or have done, to warrant the "12-year old" insult, but my own experience has taught me that it was justified most of the time.

Just remember: your 14, you'll do stupid shit and realize it later. There is just no getting past that barrier.

 

[Fleaman]

It's because when I was twelve, I was an idiot; and I, desperate to be percieved as intelligent, got into a lot of preachy arguments with low stakes and high vocal pitch about uncool things. Seeing a person younger than me reminds me of that age, and in my shame I project all of my negative qualities onto that person so that I can symbolically scold my younger self for being such a tit.

12-year old nerds tend not to have experienced the gamut of shames that 20-ish nerds have, and feel free to wear Naruto headbands at the mall in front of laypersons, and to engage in highly-strung arguments on the Internet in which aggressive threat displays are made against rivals that do not really exist. When I say "What are you, twelve?", I usually mean "I am embarrassed for you right now. You are making a scene. Maybe you should take a Ritalin."

Tangent: Understand that to 20-ish netfolk like me, coolness is directly proportional to how detached you are from the subject you're talking about. College students suddenly loving Pokemon again is a related phenomenon, since it's at about that period in your social development that you discover that ironically exaggerating something's merits makes it seem as though you're liking it to be facetious, a transcendant state of detachment in which you demonstrate detachment from yourself for liking uncool things. This is how the 20-30 male demographic for My Little Pony works.

 

[BoredDragon]

I usually use the "are you 5 years old?" insult when people are being stupid and immature.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Because 12 year olds are morons?

I don't know.

Wait, why do you know a lot of 12 year olds if you're 14?

 

[StBishop]

What?

I am sorry, but I do not understand what you are trying to say here. What is your point?

Form your thoughts into words. Then write them down. Then read them. Outloud. Then make any changes you think are needed.

What are you? Like, 12?

How does the OP not make sense?

But seriously, it makes perfect sense. It may not have perfect grammar but he's saying "I'm young and I'm sick of people using youth in a pejorative way."