'Breaking Bad' star Aaron Paul recalls moment that made him stop using phone around his kids: 'It broke my heart'
Aaron Paul explained why he avoids using his phone in front of his kids, recalling an interaction with his daughter that he says “broke my heart”.
‘Breaking Bad’ star Aaron Paul recently opened up about a personal moment that changed his relationship with technology and how he parents his children. Speaking at Wall Street Journal Tech Live, Paul explained why he avoids using his phone in front of his kids, recalling an interaction with his daughter that he says “broke my heart”.
Paul, best known for playing Jesse Pinkman in ‘Breaking Bad’, said he realised the negative impact of his smartphone when his daughter, who was six at the time, approached him while he was sending a quick email.
“My daughter comes running in and she’s asking me a question… and I’m trying to just finish this quick email,” he said. When he didn’t respond, she quietly walked away and started playing on her own. In that moment, Paul said, he put down his phone, apologised to his daughter and made a “pact” with her, a gesture that instantly lifted her mood.
“I put my phone down and I went to her and I go, ‘I want to say I’m sorry for not being responsive to you. I want to make a pact with you right now… Daddy’s not going to be on his phone when he’s with you anymore,’” Paul recalled. His daughter’s response was just one word: “Really?”
“It broke my heart. It really did,” Paul said, adding that she threw her arms around him when he promised to change. “Like she won the biggest prize. We owe it to our kids to at least give it a shot,” he said.
Paul said that the experience pushed him to be more present as a parent and to set boundaries with technology at home. “You can choose whether the technology controls you (or) you control the technology," he said.
Social media reactions
Paul’s comments have resonated widely online, with many users sharing their own struggles of balancing digital life with real-world presence.
“It’s wild how something as small as a phone can quietly reshape our relationships. Aaron Paul’s realization hits hard—how many of us are “present” with people vs. scrolling? Makes you wonder if digital detoxes aren’t just trendy, but essential for real connection,” one user wrote.
“Aaron Paul's reflection on how smartphones affect relationships is a timely reminder to unplug. Sometimes, less screen time means more real connection,” commented another.
“smartphones sometines become a barrier,” remarked a third user.
