Come November 20, the world will see a new initiative from Tamil Nadu to wean people away from their gadgets like mobile phones, lap-tops and desk tops. From 7.70 pm to 8.30 pm, families will disconnect from their gadgets and spend time with their children-playing, talking, eating and laughing together; rediscovering the pleasure of each other’s company in a fun way, says Parent Circle, a venture by Ramco Group, Tamil Nadu based industrial conglomerate which has interests in cement, computers, real estate and educational institutions.
The Pioneer has carried a news report about a scientific research in the US finding that addiction to gadgets like mobile phones and computers was as harmful as drugs. The mission by Parent Circle is to make people as well as the children to disconnect from their gadgets for one hour and get reconnected to the near and dear ones at least for an hour. November 20 is being observed as World Children’s Day by the United Nations and Parent Circle decided it to the ideal day to launch the mission to Disconnect to Reconnect.
“Though we were all home together during the pandemic, we were in many ways disconnected from our family members – particularly our children – due to our extreme dependence on technology.With the parents busy working from home and the children busy with online classes, every
one has been cocooned in a ‘connected’ world of their own,” said Nalina Ramalakshmi, founder and chairperson, Parent Circle.
She said that Governments of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are actively participating in this endeavour by sending messages to teachers and students to take a break of one hour from their gadgets and on-line assignments and to spend the time with family members.