Dear Anna,
I’m in a polyamorous relationship with my girlfriend of two years, and we see each other once a week due to other partners and our demanding work schedules. I completely understand that she’s often exhausted when we finally get together, and I’m fine with low-key dates like ordering takeout and watching TV. The problem is that even during our limited time together, she’s often on her phone, scrolling mindlessly instead of actually connecting. When I’ve asked if we can have “quality time” — meaning phones down, real conversation, maybe some physical affection — she gets defensive and acts like I’m criticizing the fact that we only see each other once a week. That’s not what I mean at all. I value whatever time we have; I just want us to actually be present for it. How can I bring this up without her feeling attacked? Is it unreasonable to ask for undivided attention when we already have so little time together? — Craving Connection
Dear CC,
I’ve been there. Once upon a time, I had a “date” with my then-girlfriend. We were supposed to watch “Star Trek” (or maybe it was a British game show, memory’s fuzzy). Her husband sat next to us, tweeting away on his laptop. She was deep into a game on her phone. The only one watching Kirk and Spock argue homoerotically about warp drives? Me. I remember thinking: Why did I come all the way over here to be ignored?
So first: You’re not being unreasonable. A date — whether it’s dinner, Netflix or Mario Kart — should have some attention, connection and intention in it. Many people think that “sharing a couch” is the same thing as “sharing each other.” But that’s not always true. Particularly if one or both of you is zoning out on a different screen entirely.
So, it would be good to clarify exactly what you mean by quality time, if you haven’t already. But we’ll get to that.
This is no one’s fault. Just a miscommunication. And I will say it’s frustrating to make a vulnerable request for connection and to have your partner hear criticism instead, which is what happened to me during my lonely “Star Trek” date.
Here’s the truth: You’re not asking for too much. You’re asking for the bare minimum. Presence. To be seen, to be chosen, to matter in the brief time you have together. In a poly relationship — where hours are already scarce and split — the quality of those hours becomes everything. To lose even that to the endless scroll of a phone is … sad, frustrating and all too relatable.
But let’s not villainize her. Phones are numbing devices. She’s tired, she’s maxed out, and for her, zoning out on a screen might feel like survival. Still, your need for connection is real — and valid.
When you ask for quality time, she hears “what you’re giving me isn’t enough,” even though what you’re actually saying is “I miss you when you’re sitting right next to me.”
Here’s something to try — in a calm moment not during date night:
“I love our time together, even when we’re just sprawled on the couch. Lately I’ve realized I’m craving more connection — not more hours, just more us in the hours we already have. Could we try something small together?”
Then make it a low-pressure experiment: “What if, just for the first hour of our date, we both put our phones in another room? We don’t have to make it a big deal — we can still eat takeout or watch TV. I just want to feel like, for that hour, we’re choosing each other.”
Framing it as an experiment with boundaries gives you some QT parameters. You’re not asking her to give up her decompression ritual, just to shift it slightly so you both get what you need.
And if she still bristles? That’s important intel and will require a deeper conversation. Like, “I’m hearing that you feel criticized when I bring this up. That’s not my intention, but I want to understand why asking for presence feels like an attack. What are you afraid I’m really saying?”
Either way, you’re not fighting about phones — you’re uncovering what’s underneath. Maybe it’s guilt about limited time. Maybe it’s burnout. Maybe it’s something else she hasn’t voiced yet.
The goal isn’t to win this argument. It’s to translate your loneliness into a language she can actually hear. Because right now, you’re both speaking different dialects of disconnection.
You don’t want the moon. You just want her to look up from her screen. And that, CC, is more than fair.
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(Anna Pulley is a syndicated Tribune Content Agency columnist answering reader questions about love, sex and dating. Send your questions via email (anonymity guaranteed) to redeyedating@gmail.com, sign up for her infrequent (yet amazing) newsletter or check out her books!)