I did the same thing and found it actually worked, if it's someplace like a very crowded hallway. Worth noting though I was not in America, or an all boys high school. Shit I heard about those places sounds like a fake high school sitcom to me.
It's a great way to get through a crowded bar or concert, but I've amended the technique a little. I stretch my arm out and use it to telegraph where I'm headed, pushing my arm ahead of me through the gaps between people, and they tend to kinda naturally make a space with no contact necessary. I'll only put my hand on someone's shoulder if they're totally oblivious or I'd otherwise walk into them, and even then you have to be subtle about the right pressure and length of touching or I could see people getting mad, but I've never had someone be upset with a very brief light tap and I've used this technique successfully to move myself and my girlfriend (we hold hands and I almost pull her along with me lol) through some tight crowds without ever ruffling any feathers.
Yeah, 13-15 for me. Although I've spent all my teen years behind a computer and didn't socialize at all, so I was pretty weird overall. Well, I still am, but at least I can at least talk with strangers with no issues, although I still get nervous very rarely and talk nonsense.
I still prefer my adulthood, because at least I am no longer bullied, I am not forced to do bullshit homework, and I don't need to learn stuff that I won't ever need in my life, but instead I can focus on learning stuff that either I am deeply interested in or has any practical use in real life.