To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders
Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications
Leaders of a tribe who gained access to the internet through Elon Musk’s Starlink service have expressed their concern after younger members began accessing adult content.
As of March 2024, satellite internet constellation Starlink, wholly owned by SpaceX, has over 6,000 small satellites in low Earth orbit with plans to double their efforts soon.
Last month, the company reported that it had collected a whopping three million subscribers, including a remote Amazonian tribe.
Advert
It’s been reported that the Marubo people - whose huts are scattered hundreds of miles along the Ituí River deep in the Amazon rainforest - were gifted 20 antennas to access 52-year-old Musk’s internet provider.
In mid-2023, American businesswoman Allyson Reneau reportedly forked out to put the tribe on the map and later helped them connect with nearby villages via Starlink.
Speaking to The New York Times, Enoque Marubo, a tribe leader, claimed that accessing the internet nine months ago has ‘already saved lives’.
Advert
Despite no longer having to rely on radio communication, it appears that the online hook-up has come with some serious downsides.
Speaking to the publication, Alfredo Marubo, leader of a Marubo association of villages, said that young people have been accessing X-rated videos.
He explained that after downloading them, the adult clips have been circulating in group chats - a far cry from the tribe’s conservative way of life.
“We’re worried young people are going to want to try it,” said Alfredo.
Meanwhile, the tribe leader has said members of the remote group have seen an uptick in ‘aggressive sexual behavior’ from younger males.
Advert
He also expressed concern that the tribe were becoming ‘lazy’ and spending too much time browsing the internet instead of connecting with their families in real life.
“Everyone is so connected that sometimes they don’t even talk to their own family,” Alfredo continued.
Elsewhere, Tsainama Marubo, a 73-year-old tribe elder added: "Young people have gotten lazy because of the internet. They’re learning the ways of the white people.
Advert
Following the worrying reports, leaders and elders of the Marubo people have banded together to outline some rules regarding internet usage.
As per Joe, members are allowed to browse the web for two hours in the morning, five hours in the afternoon and all day on a Sunday.
The leaders are also hoping that the restrictions will help their community avoid becoming like other jungle towns in the region, whose people watch action films, play first-person shooter video games and gamble online.