You can care what other people think about, or not :)
When you question yourself, why do I care what other people think?
Shouldn't they think the same way I think about it, how can I change the way people think about what I care more about, you are really pushing against that thing that you want, which is to find people that think the same way that you think and to leave the others out of the equation. That is so much more fun than to push against those that think differently.
Some would call it selfishness, to care more about what you think about than to care about what someone else thinks about it. You are both right about it. You think one way, they think the other, but that doesn't make either of you wrong about it, just different.
Here is a clip from Abraham Hicks, which speaks about the topic. It is about five minutes in I think. And it is an older clip I notice, because Esther doesn't sound quite like that any more. Esther has been channeling Abraham for over 25 years, and they have wisdom for every occasion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFimbYCuEgQ
I have two children who have been very judged in their lives, they are both young adults, and they don't care - they live their lives knowing what they want and reaching for their dreams. It does help to have some people around you that believe what you believe.
Have you tried meetup.com? There are plenty of people in your area who do believe what you believe. Or you might try and find a spiritual center in your area, and see where that leads you. Life is a journey of epic proportions, so have fun with it! Embrace life, be eager about it and ask yourself, what do you want? That is the key to finding it.
Congratulations on turning 18. It is a magical age, ask anyone. :)
Just a note: when you are tuned in to what you want and are on that journey, it won't matter to you what other people think about it, it will just feel right. And no one else gets a vote, really. And it is your enthusiam for it that just might be the change that you are looking for.