Do you even know what communism actually is? I mean do you know where it came from, and why?
If you're 17 and in America, there isn't a lot of hope that you have been told about this in a non-biased manner. Young people especially are susceptible to the ideology that they can make it in life through hard work and equal opportunities. You might even already have felt some success in this regard, was able to achieve a goal because you worked for it. And it all makes sense to you.
And you think, In some way or another, that communist are perverting this, maybe by giving away shit for nothing or worse want to take shit from you.
But that's not true.
Socialism wants you to fully get your complete value of your labour for you, instead of most of it going to a boss who didn't work. And communist want to make sure that the system doesn't allow for bosses to make decisions about the conditions workers live in.