Web Tribe

Tribal people discover the internet:

The New York Times notes that tribal leader Enoque Marubo hoped the internet would give his people greater autonomy, improve communications, allow them access to information, and help them “tell their own stories.” With the help of activists, the Marubo people were able to secure the antennas that were wired into solar panels. Then, the tribe began connecting their cell phones via Starlink. They were excited to be able to video chat with people and they could call for help in an emergency. Nine months in, the tribe began to experience the same scenarios that plague the industrialized world. Teens with their heads bent over the phones, group chat drama, social media, strange people popping up online, video games, and of course, porn. According to the article, online porn has drawn the attention of the village kids. Villager Tsainama Marubo remarked, “When it arrived, everyone was happy. But now, things have gotten worse. Young people have gotten lazy because of the internet. They’re learning the ways of the white people.” But she also does not want to lose the internet. Enoque said, “It changed the routine so much that it was detrimental. In the village, if you don’t hunt, fish, and plant, you don’t eat.” If we're honest with ourselves, people in the U.S. who don't work (hunt, fish, plant) have become a problem here. One father is worried about the prevalence of first-person shooter games online. Another is concerned about the accessibility of pornography. Young men have been sharing it in group chats, and there has been an uptick in sexually aggressive behavior among those young men. Others are troubled that internet use has overtaken familial relationships and that tribal traditions are at risk. Enoque hopes that the benefits will outweigh the risks of having internet. But the tribe has also had set boundaries and now has hours set aside for surfing the web.

Welcome to the modern world...