smartphone addiction: Tackling smartphone addiction: Yavatmal village bans mobiles for minors

Mobile phones have revolutionized our lives to such an extent that we just can’t think about spending a few hours of our day without them. Thanks to these amazing gadgets, you are not only connected with the entire world but can execute multiple tasks with ease—something that would have appeared implausible just a few decades ago. But, technology is a double-edged sword, and its overuse could cause serious harm. And, in modern times, smartphone addiction has emerged as a huge problem, especially among young children.

Now a village in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district has taken an extreme step to tackle mobile addiction among children. The gram sabha of Bansi, a village in Pusad tehsil of Yavatmal district, unanimously adopted a resolution on November 11 to ban mobile use among children and teenagers below the age of 18. To ensure that the resolution is imposed in an effective manner, the gram sabha has also decided to extract a fine of Rs 200 from violators of this rule, according to TOI.

Bansi village’s sarpanch, Gajanan Tale, told TOI that children were allowed to use mobiles during the COVID pandemic as they had to take online classes. But gradually, teenagers became addicted to it, which has not only affected their studies but also led to the use of unwanted applications.

“We were aware of it and hence brought a resolution in the gram sabha held on November 11 which passed it unanimously,” said gram panchayat secretary PR Ade. He said children below 18 years would not be allowed to use mobiles, and if anyone is found with a mobile, he would be fined Rs 200. Villagers welcome the ban on mobile devices, and they believe that it will inculcate good habits among students.

Villagers Nitin Dange, Ashish Deshmukh, and others welcomed the decision, saying it will give the children adequate time to concentrate on their studies.

Ashish, a student below the age of 18, told TOI, “It is an excellent step to inculcate good habits among the students.”

Meanwhile, the parents also expressed happiness over the decision and said they would be vigilant about their children and ensure they don’t use mobile phones. This may be the first village in the state to take such a decision to ban mobile phones.

Residents of nearby villages have also applauded the decision, saying the increasing use of mobile phones is leading teenagers to commit crimes too. Mobiles also curtail human relationships, they said.

Two months ago, another village in Maharashtra’s Sangli district took a similar decision to go on a digital detox. A siren goes off at 7 pm every night in Mohityanche Vadgaon to signal people to keep their phones and other electronic devices aside for 1.5 hours, according to PTI.

Every day, a siren goes off from a local temple at 7 pm, signaling people to put off their mobile phones and other gadgets and switch off their television sets, etc to indulge in reading books, studying, and talking with one another, while the second alarm at 8.30 pm signals the end of the detox period.