It helps you learn about your body and become more sexually responsive. It is not the same as sex with a partner. Masturbation is just one form of sexual expression. Sex with a partner involves many more emotions and sensations, and is a totally different experience. I'm not going to tell you what either feels like because that is impossible to do.
Sex is different for everyone.
Maturation does not cause addiction, dysfunctional sexual behavior, or other bodily harm. Most people do not become addicted to masturbation. People who do become addicted have some other problem that was not caused by the masturbation. How often you masturbate is a matter of personal preference. Most men tend to masturbate less as they get older, while women tend to masturbate more as they get older.