Belagavi, Dec 22 (IANS) In a bold grassroots initiative, villagers in Halaga village of Belagavi taluk in Karnataka have launched a daily ‘Digital Off’ experiment to keep children away from excessive screen time as an antidote to remain focused during study hours.

Inspired by a similar movement in Maharashtra, the campaign is targeted at breaking the growing addiction to mobile phones and television across age groups.

At 7 PM every evening, a siren from the Gram Panchayat office announces the start of a two-hour blackout of all digital devices.

The villagers voluntarily turn off the TVs and mobile phones from 7 PM to 9 PM, shifting that time to education and household involvement.

The move is timely, especially for students who are preparing to write SSLC exams.

Parents have also been encouraged to ensure that their children are not distracted during this time and that they study.

The women of the village have also taken well to the shift, moving away from the TV serials they were regularly exposed to before.

A former Gram Panchayat President, speaking to IANS, reiterated the educational purpose behind this experiment.

“This is one of the steps that has been taken for the education of children. We want to create a disciplined environment for them,” he said.

He added that it is not safe for the children to get exposed to too much screen time.

A local, Rohit Yallurkar, said that turning off TVs and mobile phones for two hours every day has allowed the children to focus better on their education.

The ‘Digital Off’ campaign has received immense support from the villagers and is now a beacon that serves as a launching pad for other communities that struggle with the issue of overuse of technology.

The initiative is also a reminder to others to carry out similar initiatives in their respective city so that children focus more on their studies.

–IANS

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