"I am writing to you ..."
Why does John list these three groups and give the various "reasons" for writing? We need to think about the situation, which was one where false teachers were seeking to make inroads. Why do people fall for false teachings? It is not for pure intellectual reasons, though these are important, but for emotional reasons as well. False teachings play on people's insecurities, so John is trying to build up the esteem of his hearers, to make them confident in what they believe.
"Dear children" could refer to all the people, not just those that we think of as children. One of the things that false teachers play on is guilt, so John assures them that through Christ their sins have been forgiven. All people long to be free from guilt. Some seek the solution in denying that there is anything to be guilty about, but only the cross has the true solution to guilt.
Fathers are those who have been around a bit, maybe contemplating the end of their lives. They can be utterly confident in the one in whom they have believed, for He is from the beginning.
The young men are assured that they have overcome the evil one. Moreover, they are are strong and have the word of God in them.
We can be confident in the one in whom we believe.
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