Finding approval

I met this guy online. I met him in person before a couple of times but we never talked. Suddenly he said hi to me online one day. We've been talking almost everyday ever since. But I'm a high school senior who had never dated and he's graduated and has way more experience than me. But our friendship remains a friendship, which is good for both of us. I guess my friends have a hard time accepting him for who he is and what his intetentions are. It's hard enough to find approval for yourself, but how do you find it for someone else?