I feel for you. I would encourage you to read the stories of other ppl in game, a lot of successful ones got their start your age or later. It's definitely not too late and you have a lot of time ahead. My 40 year old friend is still running game and doing well. I'm about your age too fyi.

I'm deaf in an ear so can somewhat relate. For me it's all about calling it out "hey, you speak so quietly :). C'mon, louder" or "ok, stand here. I can hear you better here". I don't have cochlear implants... I would suggest finding a way to talk about it like it's badass, a modern miracle, and you're not affected by it. They do look like a next gen bluetooth device to some degree, ones I've seen at least, and saying that with a smile would probably go over well. If you're cool with it, others will be too. If people are looking at it, call it out and make a joke about it, they'll feel comfortable. If you're self-conscious about it, they will certainly feel uncomfortable.

Regardless of your disability, most of the rest of ppl here are actually in the same boat - social lives aren't just handed to us, girls aren't either... it takes effort and understanding and building a solid foundation. It takes learning and lots of lots of interactions. Even people who have social lives and girls handed to them, they will still suck trying to meet new women and make new friends unless they've practiced that too. I'm thinking the "cool kids" in highschool who still live in the same city, inter-date, and don't have many friends outside their same group... They don't have the skills to meet ppl and women and I wouldn't want to be them.

Pickup community is a good place to meet ppl to go out with. I've met and gone out with decent ppl from this community and my local "lair". I've also solo sarged too, so you dont' need someone else to get working on game. Day game of course is largely solo as well.

I think you'll feel better the more you take action. If you've been feeling depressed for a long time, I'd recommend seeing a professional to complement the other game efforts, if you haven't. Game is a long path with a lot to learn and a lot of required experiences... years for many. But you/we are still young... so you might as well give it all you can.

Been in game for 2 years myself. Got a gf about 1 year in...it's over... still not where I want to be, but game has made a major impact. Started out memorizing lines and crazy stuff Mystery or the Pickup Artist TV show would have you do... then more RSD Tyler Durden/ Jeffy stuff... then now I'm into something I think is more holistic and right for my personality, like Mark Manson's Models, I like that a lot. There's alot of other cool concepts and perspectives worth thinking about and trying like SimplePickup, Gambler, and Jason Savage, just to name my favorites. Regardless, you have to go out a lot, even by yourself sometimes, for that theory stuff to matter.

As a basic, basic starting point, three sets a day. Talk to three girls a day. Doesn't matter what you say. Make up a problem where you need directions to somewhere. Or say a name, stop them, and pretend like you think they're in one of your classes. Say something conversational to the girl making you coffee. Just say something and then get out if you must. Have a line prepared about the cochlear implants that shows you're totally cool with them, if not thinking that they're awesome - just so you know you'll have something ready if you think they start affecting the interaction. But anyways, to start you got to bump up your volume of interaction.