According to the Swedes, Conversation Should Be Used for Exchanging Real, Meaningful Information

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For Swedes, the purpose of talking is to exchange meaningful information, and engaging in purposeless chit-chat simply isn’t valued.  To Swedes:

... small talk is seen as futile, and is referred to as kallprat (“cold talk”) or dödprat (“dead talk”). To avoid ending up in these situations, many Swedes have made an art of avoiding eye contact with strangers and acquaintances they might come across in the street by looking at their phones or staring at shopping windows instead. 

Learn more on why Swedes don't to speak to strangers.