'Digital Detox': This Village Stays Away From E-Gadgets For 1.5 Hours Daily, Indulges In Productive Activities

A village in the Sangli district of Maharashtra is showing its residents the way out of the chaos of electronic gadgets and social media platforms in the modern lifestyle by encouraging them to go for a "digital detox" every day in the evening.

The idea was introduced by the sarpanch of the Mohityanche Vadgaon village, Vijay Mohite, and since then, the residents have been enthusiastically participating in the novel exercise, as reported by NDTV.

Digital Detox Every Evening

Every day in the evening, a siren goes off at 7 pm from a local temple, signalling the villagers to put a halt to the usage of their electronic gadgets such as mobile phones, turn off their television sets, etc. to indulge in other productive activities like reading books, studying, playing and talking with one another. Later, after one and a half hours, another siren goes off at 8:30 pm, signalling the end of the detox session.

The coronavirus-induced lockdown and the subsequent rise in the usage of online classes brought mobile phones into the hands of the kids for long hours even after school ended for the day; at the same time, viewing hours of television also got extended for parents.

What The Sarpanch Has To Say?

When the COVID lockdown was lifted and physical classes resumed, teachers realised that children did want to read and write as they had become lethargic. They were most of the time engrossed in mobile phones, even before and after school hours. Further, there weren't any separate study rooms for kids in the villagers' homes, and that's when Vijay Mohite put forth the idea of digital detox.

The sarpanch said, at first, he had proposed a one-and-a-half-hour period, but people were hesitant and were uncertain if there was a possibility to keep away from smartphones and TV screens. He added, "On Independence Day, we convened a gram sabha of women and decided to purchase a siren. Then ASHA workers, anganwadi sevikas, gram panchayat employees, retired teachers went home to home to create awareness about digital detox."

Mohite explained, "At present, between 7 pm and 8.30 pm, people keep their mobile phones aside, switch off television sets and focus on reading, studying, writing and conversations. A ward-wise committee has been set up to monitor if the initiative is being implemented."

Earlier this month, in the Raisen of Madhya Pradesh, some members of the Jain community during the 'paryushan parva' observed a "digital fast" for 24 hours by keeping away from all their electronic gadgets, including smartphones.

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