Remote Amazon Tribe Connects to Internet, Bringing New Resources Along With Disruption to Venerable Customs
‘Young people have gotten lazy because of the internet, they’re learning the ways of the white people,’ one tribal elder says.
A reclusive tribe in the Amazon has experienced significant upheaval after being connected to the internet, courtesy of Elon Musk’s Starlink service, which elders say has led to some of the same troubles facing the developed world, including too much time spent online.
The Marubo tribe, consisting of 2,000 members, has been profoundly affected since the installation of the Tesla founder’s Starlink service nine months ago. The technological advancement connected the remote rainforest community along the Ituí River to the internet for the first time, the New York Times reports.
“When it arrived, everyone was happy,” one tribe member, Tsainama Marubo, 73, told the Times. “But now, things have gotten worse. Young people have gotten lazy because of the internet, they’re learning the ways of the white people.”
The Marubo, known for their strict standards of decorum and disapproval of public displays of affection, are now facing cultural challenges.
One tribal elder, Alfredo Marubo, expressed concern that the new high-speed internet service, touted by Mr. Musk as a revolutionary change, is disrupting their traditional values.
Mr. Marubo says that some young Marubo men have been sharing pornographic videos in group chats, leading to what the Times described as “more aggressive sexual behavior” among young men in the tribe.
Initially, the internet was seen as a boon for the remote tribe. It allowed them to quickly contact authorities in emergencies, such as potentially deadly snake bites. It also enabled the sharing of educational resources with other Amazonian tribes and facilitated connections with friends and family members living elsewhere.
But the newfound connectivity has brought other unforeseen consequences. The tribe’s leaders, worried that their history and culture — passed down through oral traditions — could be lost, have now imposed restrictions on internet access. Members can only use the internet for two hours each morning, five hours each evening, and all day on Sunday.
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This story was revised from an earlier version.
