Shalom and thank you for your question. You wish to know if teenage boys can talk to teenage girls. I gather the question pertains to the context of Jewish law. It is not something that is forbidden under any circumstance, but it is preferable to avoid conversations that do not have specific practical reasons. A boy or girl can go into a store and make a purchase when someone of the opposite gender is behind the counter for example, but the conversation should be minimal and limited to what is necessary in order to make the purchase. To engage in conversations for the sake of socializing is not recommended, and should preferably be avoided. This is so not to make life difficult but rather to protect the future family that the teenagers will eventually be building.
When is it permitted and desirable to have conversations with the opposite sex? When a young man and woman are ready and able to date for the purpose of finding a life partner. In fact, it is very important for young men and women who are dating for that reason, to have conversations focused on getting to know each other – each other’s goals, hopes and dreams, so that they can decide if they are compatible for life together. They also need to see each other to determine if there is an attraction.
If you are not sure how to put the above ideas in to practice in your specific environment you could ask an orthodox Rabbi how to proceed, or you could write back to us and explain what the circumstances are.
All the best!
