In Maharashtra’s Sangli district a village - Mohityanche Vadgaon has set an example of how to engage in a disciplined digital detox where adults and children can engage in other activities instead of getting stuck to mobile phones and the idiot boxes.

As per reports in the News On AIR, the village has come out with a unique initiative where the villagers ( both young and old ) have to shut their mobile phones and TV sets for one and a half hours in the evening and have to engage in reading and other useful activities.

So how do they shut off for 90 minutes? By 7 o clock in the evening in the Mohityanche Vadgaon village, a siren is sounded to inform people to put their mobile phones and other electronic devices aside for one and a half hours. Not only students, but even housewives and other villagers have been engaging themselves in reading different types of books and students reach their homes to grab their books and start their studies.

This unique initiative was brought into effect by Vijay Mohite, Sarpanch of the village Sarpanch who came up with this idea during the Covid-induced lockdowns. While speaking to PTI, Vijay said that the online classes and not being able to play outside had made children screen addicts. When physical classes resumed, teachers realized children had become lazy, did not want to read and write, and were mostly engrossed in their mobile phones before and after school hours. There weren’t separate study rooms in the homes of the villagers. So, I put forth the idea of a digital detox, he said.

On Independence Day, a gram sabha was organised and the idea was proposed to the villagers. After creating awareness about the benefits of this digital detox benefits, the villagers readily agreed to it and started following the 90 minutes no gadget rule regularly.

The 7-8.30 pm digital detox rule enables children to focus on reading, writing, and studying and adults to engage in conversations like the good old times.

In order to see that villagers abide by the rule, Anganwadi workers, teachers and members of the gram panchayats have been entrusted with the responsibility to inspect houses between 7 to 8.30 pm. The initiative undertaken by the village sarpanch has received a positive response from the villagers and it would be of great use if other villages, states, and people in the cities who are hooked to social media, also try and follow and implement the digital detox initiative!

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