It was supposed to help save lives and make them part of the global community. But what indigenous people in the South American rainforest are going through with its Starlink access has dark sides that threaten the tribe.
How did Elon Musk bring the Internet and where did it go? Elon Musk is the founder and still CEO of SpaceX. In addition to rockets such as the Falcon 9 or the Starship, the technology and space company also produces communication satellites: Starlink. They already form a network that is largely functional globally. One purpose is to bring internet access to remote regions – for example, into the depths of the Amazon rainforest. The Economic Times and New York Times reported on this.
Who got the Starlink receivers from whom? Musk did not provide the necessary receivers with Wi-Fi antennas himself, nor did the Marubo tribe in the South American rainforest buy them. American entrepreneur Allyson Reneau donated them a few months ago as part of her charitable commitment.
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Previously, the tribe, which consists of around 2,000 people, lived completely cut off from the public and especially the Internet, apart from occasional visits and migrations. Now they have to live with the consequences. In some cases, it endangers peace.
The pitfalls of the Internet
Why does the Internet threaten inner peace? New York Times journalist Jack Nicas visited the tribe and describes what he learned on site. He spoke to tribal members and asked them about the problems with Starlink.
In summary, the Internet distracts young people in particular from their duties. Some are said to be already showing symptoms of addiction. The consumption of pornography is a particular concern for older people. Up until now, chastity in public has been the norm in the community, and even kissing outside of one’s own home was frowned upon.
Recently, the behavior of many young tribe members has changed to become more open and, unfortunately, is also occasionally manifesting itself in aggressive sexual behavior. This and the “laziness” of some, as warned against by the tribal elders, threatens cohesion and the traditional agricultural way of life.
How does the tribe react? According to Nicas’ report, access is now limited in time. The internet is mostly unavailable on all days except Sundays. The Starlink routers with WiFi antennas are only switched on for a few hours each morning and evening.
Is the tribe now cutting off access out of fear?
Is everything about it bad? No, there are of course positive aspects too. Access to ultra-fast communication has proven to be useful in medical emergencies. Help reaches the tribe within hours rather than days of a call for help. And communication with relatives outside the area who once emigrated is of course easier than ever before.
Overall, the tribal leadership is positive about the Internet, despite all the problems that were previously unknown. They would not want to miss out on access.
With his announcements, Elon Musk himself is always causing headaches for people in his companies. In this way, he also occasionally causes trouble at X (formerly Twitter). Here, too, his comments are sometimes not the kind of thing that increases the company’s value. In this article on the effects of his posts, you can read that he has now realized this too.