Why are friendship and acceptance important to a teenager?

It's a time in life where we are starting to build stronger relationships outside our immediate families, and are also starting to be attracted to the opposite sex. We are coming out of childhood and preparing for adulthood, and we seek people to support us as we are making that transition.

That said, acceptance is still different to different people. Some people will be willing to do anything for it, while others will refuse to compromise themselves. It's a tough time in life, where we are learning what we want to stand up for and figuring out who we are with our first taste of independence.