Hello InnocentDemon: Thank you for your efforts with this young man. From what you wrote, it sounds as though he is in need of a friend & you have stepped into that role. Personally, I don't know as there is much of anything more you can do for this individual than you are already doing.

On-line relationships can be difficult. All you know is what you "see" on-line. You have little or no perspective regarding what's going on with the person in real life. So my thinking would be, if you are willing to continue to help this young man to solve his technical problems & understand the "ins-&-outs" of interacting with other members on the website you both frequent, that is probably about as much as you can do. And that alone is a great thing to do.

Certainly, to the extent possible, it is also fine to encourage him not to take the judgement of other people on-line to heart. People can be so cruel, especially on-line. And age doesn't seem to have much of anything to do with it. PsychCentral is a special place in that regard. For the most part, everyone here makes a genuine effort to be encouraging & supportive. But that's not the case elsewhere, as I'm sure you realize. Good luck with your continued efforts on this young man's behalf. I wish you well...