How offline games and activities are helping people to relearn the art of playing in Tiruchi

Screen-free entertainment for kids and grown-ups is gaining ground in Tiruchi, thanks to new ventures

Oxford University Press recently named ‘brain rot’ its phrase of the year. Brain rot describes the impact of consuming hours of online content, especially social media, on a person’s mental processes.

For a few years now, scientists have also spoken about the ‘popcorn brain’, a fragmented mental state that results from endless multitasking and processing of information in the modern world.

For families that have become accustomed, if not addicted, to getting entertained only through electronic content, this signifies a need for change. The solution is simple — it’s time to reset, and switch off the devices to rediscover old-school fun through books and playtime.

We meet some residents of Tiruchi who are engaging parents and children in screen-free pastimes.

As parents of twins, Sriram Shankar and Jaisri Raju have experienced the difficulty of keeping children engaged , and also encouraging families to spend time together offline.

“When we were growing up, it was common for households to plan outings to the cinema. We would enjoy the whole experience, from watching the film to buying popcorn during the interval and then choosing a restaurant for dinner afterwards. This habit has slowly faded in recent years; nobody wants to socialise, even within their own families,” says Jaisri.

The couple decided to establish a company called ‘Balakridaa’, which promotes screen-free entertainment. Their first venture, launched in May 2023, was the Bouncy House — a play zone for children equipped with facilities that allows kids aged three to nine years to enjoy an hourly session of physical activity, under the supervision of trained staff.