Being young and awkward is a MASSIVE barrier to entry for most careers

I'm 18 years old and I've noticed most adults seek out other adults when it comes to career opportunities (job opportunities, business opportunities, networking, etc). Whether that's from an experience or education standpoint is what I'm not sure of.<br><br>I've tried my best to network my way up for a scheme I want to launch (a digital publication specifically designed for early high schoolers, to make school more engaging for them). When I network with people I get the following responses:<br><br>1. Oh, you're in high school, this is a great hobby.<br>2. You're 18 years old, you're really taking on a brave project.<br>3. Oh I would totally be Following your new Instagram page if I was in middle school.<br><br>I've tried my best to create a professional environment, and all the content is of very high quality, but no one seems to want to take me seriously.<br><br>Any thoughts on this?<br><br>TLDR: I have trouble being taken seriously in my career because of age