Aaron Paul vows to stay off his phone around children after daughter’s emotional reaction

Aaron Paul shared how moment with his daughter led him to promise not to use his phone when spending time with family

Aaron Paul has opened up about how a heartfelt moment with his daughter led him to stop using his phone when spending time with his children.

 The Breaking Bad actor, who shares two children — seven-year-old Story and three-year-old Ryden — with wife Lauren Parsekian, recalled the moment during a recent appearance at WSJ Tech Live.

Paul described how his daughter tried to get his attention while he was finishing an email. “My daughter comes running in and she’s asking me a question,” he said. “And I’m trying to just finish this quick email. And then she stopped asking, and she kind of went and started playing.”

Realising he had ignored her, Paul said, “I put my phone down and I went to her [and said], ‘I wanna say I’m sorry for not being responsive to you.’” He told her, “‘I wanna make a pact with you right now. A promise. Daddy’s not gonna be on his phone when he’s with you anymore.’”

He recalled her emotional response: “She looks at me and she goes, ‘Really?’ It broke my heart.” He added, “I promise you, I won’t,” saying she hugged him “like she won the biggest prize.”

Paul urged parents to reconsider how much technology influences their family time. “You can choose whether the technology controls you. You should control the technology,” he said.

His comments have sparked conversation online, with many parents praising him for setting a positive example, while others debated the balance between attentiveness and teaching children patience.