I've pretty much been robbed of adolescence.

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I'm 17 right now and my interests really aren't much different from what they were five years ago. I just don't do the kinds of things that my peers do and I'm not friends with any of my peers. I feel like I'm missing out on the whole experience of being a teenager. Does anyone else feel this way?

Sometimes it feels like I've skipped being a teenage guy, passing that phase, overlooking it - moving between early adolecsence and maturity without the transition.

But maybe that's a good thing..? I might not get along with people, but that's because I don't play to the lowest common denominator. All it means to be a teenage guy, really, is to be loud, be obnoxious, act superior, act dominating.

Is that something you really want to do? Do you want to be loud and immature?

Out of curiosity, what are you referring to when you speak of the "teenage experience"?

Most likely typical teenage stuff: ie going out on the town, driving with your mates, going to parties, that sort of thing. This, however, can get difficult for us, as we very well know.

*shrugs* It's the same way for me. My mom gets upset because I'm not into the whole stereotypical teen thing--nearly all of my social interaction with my peers centers around Latin. I can't say I'm terribly worried about missing out, though; the whole thing just seems so...stupid. Illogical. Pointless.

I'm 19, and have never really done teenagery stuff such as going to clubs and gossiping.

I don't think I'm missing out on much - I dislike the idea of gossip, and find most people my age fairly hard work to get on with. Clubs tend to be noisy and crowded, and are really only useful for drinking (I don't drink), dancing (which I don't do in front of other people) or picking up other people (I have a boyfriend, and wouldn't want the sort of person who goes to clubs anyway). I occasionally do recreational clothes shopping, but that's in charity shops - I don't understand the idea of buying something because it's expensive, and while I technically understand trends, I don't tend to follow them.

What do you feel you are missing out on? And why do you use the word 'robbed' (implying you had an adolescence, but someone took it from you)?

SolaCatella, we were talking about the teenage tendency (although some adults do it too) to waste a lot of money on trendy clothes, drinking and clubbing. Spending money on books is an entirely different matter: books expand the mind, can encourage creative thinking, benefit language skills and are generally a lot more worthwhile than a £70 miniskirt. Although sadly, many young girls woud prefer the latter.

I'm turning eighteen in a month and I never really did get into some teenage things, but really into others.

Here are the things I do, along with other teens:
*shop (LOVE it!)
*gossip
*drive
*hang out w/ friends and talk on the phone

And here are the things I'd never do that other teens like:
*alcohol and drugs (I know it's wrong and I'll never do it)
*go to wild parties

I don't know. I just see myself as much more mature than my peers but more immature at the same time. Things are weird around here. But isn't it like that anywhere?

I was more of a teenager from ages 4-7 than I was from 13-19 (I'm 19, by the way). When I was 4-7, I was into make-up and such. I could care less now. I've always been much more "grown-up" than my actual age. I don't do anything that a "typical" teenager does. I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I hate shopping, I hate parties, I don't date, I don't know how to drive, I abhor shopping and talking on the phone, and I'm not into today's music. I don't feel as if I was "robbed" of my adolescence, though. As someone who doesn't see what there is to be robbed of, I don't think twice about not participating in these activities. Being a "normal" teenager is immature and pointless to me. I wouldn't change a thing.
-OddDuckNash99-

You're not missing much, most of the Neurotypical kids I know are idiots who couldn't find their way out of a paper bag if they had sissors and a torch. Some are ok though, but still..

I don't think you're missing anything, if you're not interested in it.
I always ran my own race. If I'm not interested in what they were doing (partying, for example) I didn't come along, but did something I wanted to instead.
I don't think I lost that time, since I did something meaningful instead of wasting it.