Rural India’s first digital detox centre launched in Chikkaballapur

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: A Digital Detox Centre has been established in Gauribidanur, Chikkaballapur district, to wean away youth from devices that are causing stress and disrupting sleep patterns. The centre established by Dr HS Shashidhar Kumar of Gauribidanur aims to address symptoms such as headache, fatigue and sleep deprivation resulting from excessive smartphone use.

According to Dr KS Rathna, an individual spends an average of 6-8 hours each day using smartphones for various activities. Such as texting, watching porn or viral videos, browsing dating apps and playing online games.

The digital detoxification process at the centre involves a temporary disconnection from smartphones, televisions, the internet and social media. The centre aims to counsel individuals on the usage of digital technologies while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. "Every day I get a number of youngsters complaining about disruption in sleep patterns, headaches, eyerelated issues etc and the single cause is continuous usage of smartphones."

Dr Sumanth YJ, who works at the hospital under Manasa Hospitals believes that the centre provides networking opportunities and face-to-face interaction for individuals who may be addicted to technology