The nights become buzzing as soon as the sirens start ringing, people start asking about your well-being, but why?

Digital Detox: It is not just the job of the government to provide the right condition and direction to the elderly, the next generation as well as the society. If common people decide to bring positive change in the society, then there is no need for any big social reformer. In the 21st century, normal life cannot be imagined without TV, smartphone and internet. While many problems have been solved by modern gadgets and other facilities, some problems have also emerged in their place. Especially internet services have made normal life easy and accessible. Imagine, what would happen if these facilities were taken away for a few hours? Something similar is happening in a village in Karnataka. Every day in the evening, TV, laptop, smartphone etc. are switched off for two hours. With this the phase of digital detox begins. This village of Karnataka has become famous across the country for its innovative initiatives.

Actually, Halaga village, located about 10 kilometers from Belagavi district of Karnataka, has taken a unique initiative. Here now the screens of TV, mobile, laptop and tablet remain completely switched off every day from 7 pm to 9 pm. During this time neither any TV serial is played nor mobile rings are heard. This initiative has been named ‘Digital Detox’. Halaga has become the first village in Karnataka, where this system has been implemented. This community initiative was formally launched on Wednesday 17 December 225. At exactly 7 pm, a loud siren sounds, after which all the screens across the village are switched off. This has a direct impact on about 500 school children, who at this time return home from the playground and start studying. At the same time, elders and other family members also get a chance to interact with each other and meet their neighbours.

No TV, No Mobile, Just Study and Conversation

This initiative has been named – No TV, No Mobile, Just Study and Conversation. Its main objective is to reclaim evening time for studies and family interaction. In today’s era, due to increasing screen time, children’s education and social relations are being affected. The people of the village believe that this two-hour digital break will help in increasing children’s concentration and bonding with the family. According to the report of ‘Times of India’, the digital detox program was inaugurated by Gram Panchayat President Lakshmi Gajapati. The initiative is inspired by Agran Dhulgaon village in Sangli district of Maharashtra, where a similar experiment was conducted in 2022. That initiative, which started after the Covid lockdown, was appreciated at the national level because it saw a positive change in the study habits of the students.

Better than average performance of students

There are two government and two private schools in this village of Karnataka with a population of about 12 thousand. A total of about 500 students study in these four schools. The examination results of village schools have been better than average. Former Gram Panchayat President Ganpat Marihalkar said that the objective of the Panchayat has been to give priority to education since the beginning. He said that every year the Panchayat spends about Rs 2.5 lakh from its own funds to strengthen the two government schools of the village. Special consideration has also been given to the timing of digital detox.

The time has been decided thoughtfully

Social worker Anil Shinde said that the time from 7 to 9 pm is the busiest time for TV serials and entertainment programs. During this time, children’s attention gets distracted the most. Therefore, this time was chosen so that distractions are reduced and studies and conversation are encouraged. The villagers hope that this initiative will improve the future of the children and will again strengthen the mutual dialogue in the society. This effort of Halgaon can now become an example for other villages also.