Have a Device-Free Date
Put both phones out of reach and discover how different an evening feels when nobody can check a notification, settle an argument with a search result or photograph the meal before tasting it. A device-free date creates room for long answers, accidental detours and the sort of observation that disappears when attention is divided. The point is not to prove that technology is bad. Phones handle tickets, maps, childcare calls and genuine emergencies, so a useful boundary is more specific than a dramatic switch-off. You might agree to use one device for navigation, keep a number available for a carer, then place everything else in a bag until an agreed time. Choose something that gives you material to talk about: cook a complicated recipe, walk a familiar route with new questions, play a two-person game or visit somewhere neither of you knows. Agree the rule before the date so putting a phone away does not become a test imposed by one person. If the conversation feels rusty, bring a few prompts about plans, memories and things you would like to learn together. Notice what actually changes. You may talk more, become restless for ten minutes, or realise that checking a screen has been masking tiredness rather than disinterest. End by deciding which boundary, if any, is worth repeating. Add this to your list for a date built around deliberate attention rather than perfect scenery or an expensive booking.