When this village saw that children were lost in TV and mobile phones all the time, it did something that is hardly seen anywhere in the world.
The Indian state of Maharashtra has announced a one-and-a-half-hour daily 'freedom' from the two modern addictions of TV and the Internet.
In Wadgaon village of Sangli district, a siren rings every evening at 7 pm to signal residents to switch off TVs and mobile phones.
These addictive devices can be turned on again at the village council's 8:30 siren.
"We decided on India's Independence Day that we have to stop this addiction," Rural Council chief Vijay Mohite told BBC Hindi. From the next day, when the sirens sounded, all TVs and mobile phones were switched off.
Wadgaon has a population of around three thousand and most of the people here are either engaged in agriculture or work in sugar mills.
Vijay said that children used to take online classes during the Covid-19 pandemic, after which they became addicted to TV and mobile phones.
After the reopening of educational institutions this year, children started going to schools and colleges to take classes.
"But they would come back from class and either play on their mobile phones or watch TV," says Vijay.
He said that many adults were also spending more time with these devices than talking to each other.
Vandana Mohite says she was finding it difficult to supervise her two children as "they were completely lost in their phone or TV."
"Since this new tradition has started, it is much easier for my husband to come home from work and help him with his studies so that I can do my work in the kitchen," she says.
But it was not easy to convince everyone. Vijay says that when the council discussed the matter and put the proposal before the villagers, the men rejected it.
The council then gathered the women of the village who admitted that they too were watching too many TV serials, so it was agreed that the entire village would switch off their TVs and mobile phones for a while.
Another council meeting was held in which it was decided that a siren would be installed at the village temple.
During July and December 2020, Dr. Sharma and his colleagues conducted a study on 682 people (495 women and 185 men) that found that 'disruptive internet use' was increasingly common among adolescents and young adults. . This is the biggest problem arising due to excessive use of internet.
The study found that 'excessive non-productive use of the Internet increases the risk of addictive use, which leads to psychological distress. It has the potential to harm many aspects of youth.
Adolescents who are already suffering from psychological distress are more likely to use the Internet to provide temporary escape from unpleasant emotional situations.
Because of this, they may reduce social interaction, spending time with family and participating in extracurricular activities, making them even more lonely.
Deliberately taking this 'digital fast' and participating in good activities with the family can reduce dependence on online activities, says Dr Sharma.
"You should talk to your kids to make sure they are participating in physical or offline activities, getting enough sleep and eating well."
Dilip Mohite, a sugarcane grower, is a father of three children. He says he can see the impact of this decision.
He says that 'earlier the children were not paying attention to their studies, but now there is a normal conversation at home.
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