Two-hour daily break from all screens: Halaga becomes Karnataka’s first village to carry out ‘digital detox’
Halaga, a Karnataka village, pioneers a daily 7-9 PM digital detox. Inspired by Vadgaon, this initiative mandates a screen blackout to combat gadget addiction, boost academic focus, and strengthen family ties.
New Delhi: In an era where "doom-scrolling" and television marathons have become the norm, one village in Karnataka is pulling the plug to find its voice again. Halaga, a community of 12,000 residents located just 10 kilometres from Belagavi, has officially launched the "digital detox" program, making it the first in the state to formally mandate a two-hour daily break from all screens.
The 7 pm blackout
Every evening at exactly 7:00 pm, a high-pitched siren echoes through the streets of Halaga. This isn’t a warning of danger, but a call to connection. For the next 120 minutes, until 9:00 PM, the village enters a state of digital hibernation.
Televisions are clicked off, smartphones are set aside, and laptops are closed. The initiative, titled "No TV, No Mobile, Just Study and Conversation,” is designed to reclaim the most distracted hours of the day for education and family bonding.
Battling the "serial" distraction
The timing of the detox is no coincidence. Local residents noted that the 7 PM to 9 PM window is the peak hour for popular television serials and social media activity. They said that this is the exact time when students should be focusing on homework, and families should be sharing their day.
By silencing the digital noise, the village aims to:
Boost academic focus: Providing students with a quiet, distraction-free environment.
Encourage social interaction: Residents are now seen stepping out to talk to neighbours instead of staying glued to screens.
Strengthen family ties: Promoting face-to-face conversation during dinner and evening hours.
The Pandemic’s digital hangover
The movement was born out of a growing concern over gadget addiction. The addiction among the population skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic when online classes forced children into the digital world.
Halaga’s initiative draws inspiration from Vadgaon, a village in Athani taluk along the Karnataka–Maharashtra border. Vadgaon’s Gram Panchayat president, Vijay Mohite, noted that the habit of using smartphones for school eventually morphed into an unhealthy dependence. Vadgaon led the way by installing a loudspeaker atop a local temple to signal the start and end of their own screen-free window.
A rowing movement
What started as a local experiment in Vadgaon is now turning into a regional trend. Delegations from various Gram Panchayats across Karnataka and Maharashtra have begun visiting these "unplugged" villages to study the positive psychological and social impacts on the community.
As the 9:00 PM siren sounds in Halaga, the screens may come back on, but for two hours, the village proves that life is much richer when lived off-camera.