Our teenage years are critical for social development — whether we enjoy them or not. Scientists surveyed teenagers through their adolescence, asking them about the quality of their peer relationships and how accepted they felt, and then catching up with them when they reached young adulthood to measure wellbeing. They found that, for the promotion of future wellbeing, general social acceptance was most important for teenagers aged 13-14, while 17-18 year olds needed a close circle of friends.