I was a "4chan troll" during the Bush administration

I started hanging around here in 2007. I used to think this was the most horrible place on Earth. I would post here sometimes, and the anonymity was something I had never experienced before. <br><br>I went from a young, naive teenager who posted on here to simply troll, to a young, naive teenager who posted here to get your perspective on world happenings. <br><br>I started to venture into other parts of the site, /pol/ most notably. This was when my first "mini-awakening" happened. I realized the world around me wasn't as black and white as I was told. I began to question the media, news, and government. I learned the art of forming my own opinions instead of taking what I was told by the media or social media at face value. <br><br>Now, most people my age (my peers) will watch the news, believe what they hear, and go on their merry way. That's exactly how I was before I stupidly lurked around here. <br><br>My point with all this is that I owe a lot to this site. It shaped me. It helped me think for myself. It gives me a perspective I wouldn't have otherwise. <br><br>This site has helped me into the person I am today. I'm not the same person I was when I started lurking. I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago. <br><br>I'm glad I spent a couple of years of my life lurking on a place that brings out the worst in humanity. It simply helped me.