I’ve been to the Amazon and experienced its remote wonderland. I remember standing in a lush rainforest, in the warm, humid air, surrounded by the sounds of exotic birds. The people are wonderful and almost childlike in their trusting nature. But let me tell you, I still get chills thinking of the swarms of bullet ants that grow over an inch long, fishing for piranhas and avoiding tons of snakes.
For hundreds of years, the Brazilian Marubo tribe of about 2,000 people has lived deep in one of the most remote parts of the Amazon rainforest, cut off from outsiders and without many modern technologies.
But life for the tribe changed nine months ago, when American entrepreneur Allyson Reneau thought it would be a great idea to give the tribe Elon Musk’s satellite-based Starlink internet access. A few Marubo tribe members had phones they used to take photos or when they went into a city, but there was no internet there at all.
It started out with a click …
When Starlink was first installed, the tribe used it in great ways. They got help for snakebites that turn deadly without speedy intervention. The Marubo connected with other local tribes and stayed in touch with family and friends who’d moved away.
Younger tribe members expanded their horizons, getting a peek into life outside their small, remote community. Suddenly, teens had big dreams, from becoming a dentist in the big city to traveling the world.
But then, things changed big time
The younger tribe members found and quickly became addicted to porn, social media and video games. They started sharing all kinds of explicit videos in group chats and getting sexually aggressive. The Marubo don’t even kiss in public.
People of all ages now have trouble putting down their phones. Tribe members have also been falling victim to scams since they’ve never seen or heard of them before.
An older member says when the internet first arrived, “Everyone was happy, but now, things have gotten worse. Young people have gotten lazy … In the village, if you don’t hunt, fish and plant, you don’t eat.”
The internet has made the tribe addicted and divided.
The tribe’s fix: Screen-time limits
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