Why do you think many adolescents find it more difficult to be close to their parents than to their friends?

Question

 Is this phenomenon cultural, or developmental-or both?

Answer 1

Because parents set rules and regulations at which the teenage eyeballs are constantly rolling at. Whereas friends don't set rules and regulations they just accept you as you are. 

Answer 2

Yes, opposition to the previous generation (parents, teachers...) is part of growing. 

Every generation finds its own values, dress code, music, etc. that appear shocking to the older one.

It's not a recent phenomenon: the 1920s youth shocked the WW1 generation with their Charleston dance that included African dance steps.

And of course we have all been taught about the famous  difficult Socrates/ Plato relationship 

Answer 3

The generation gap. Kids have more in common with people their same age and they spend more time playing with other kids than they do with their parents. Play is very important to children. Many parents, especially dads, do not interact much with their children as they are more concerned with making money. Sometimes the mom has her own career and spends most of the day in the work place. I know some children who bonded with domestic workers who take care of them on a daily basis and they show more affection to those workers than their own mothers. Very often the parents have to be the disciplinarian too. Teenagers also tend to be rebellious, so they may start rejecting the attemnpts to discipline them, and there may then be a fallout.

Answer 4

probably cause they spend more time with them

Answer 5

cause theyre around their parents more than their friends