I agree completely, as a teenager myself despite wanting to stay away from such petty, defaming conversations, you eventually get hauled in, either because one

I agree completely, as a teenager myself despite wanting to stay away from such petty, defaming conversations, you eventually get hauled in, either because one of your friends starts believing them in which case you're social life is at stake, or because any new acquaintances will be sorely misled by those comments.