Elon Musk brings the internet to the Amazon forest and disrupts the daily life of a tribe

The Marubo tribe, residing along the banks of the Ituí River in the Amazon rainforest for centuries, is one of those tribes that has only been completely and absolutely isolated from the rest of the world until recently. In a harsh and difficult territory, with villages reachable only after a week’s travel, However, since September these indigenous people have had access to high-speed internet thanks to the initiative of the American entrepreneur Allyson Reneauwhich donated 20 Starlink antennas from Elon Musk’s satellite service to the tribe.

Cas journalist Jack Nicas and photographer Victor Moriyama tell us in the New York Timeswho traveled more than 80 km of Amazon forest to reach the villages of the Marubo tribe, the approximately 2,000 members of the tribe are now connected to the digital world, experiencing both the advantages and pitfalls of the internet.

While the benefits certainly include the ease of contacting emergency services in case of emergencies, however, access to the internet is not free from complications. Tribal leaders are in fact expressing growing concern about young people’s exposure to inappropriate content, such as pornography, which circulates freely in group chats. This new exposure is causing worrying behavioral changes, including more aggressive sexual attitudes among young men, a situation that deviates from the conservative traditions of a tribe that for hundreds of years has always had its own specific language and takes “ayahuasca” spirits) to connect with the spirits of the forest.

The leader of the Marubo people, Alfredo Marubo, shared his anxiety with the New York Times, confirming his concern about the behavior of young people and the decline in real communication within families where connectivity is instead preferred. The new addiction to digital devices and exposure to inappropriate content is altering the social and cultural fabric that has held the tribe together for generations.

In this context, the observations of the educational psychologist Stefano Rossi, creator of the Rossi Method, also seem to adapt perfectly to our daily lives. According to Rossi, “
What is happening in this population is no different than what has already happened in our lives. The correct term is alienation. The smartphone is designed from the first to the last pixel to attach us to the screen, detaching us from real relationships and the data on violence and sexual behavior should make us reflect and shows us why families and schools must have the courage to think about educational issues with adolescents affective. In porn the other is no longer a subject but an object to be used and thrown away. Without the words of us adults, the models, not only sexual, but above all relational, teach…“.

Credits Cover image New York Times/Victor Moriyama