NOT A DISCOVERY OF FIRE?

Ruwandi Perera wonders if culture and traditions can survive the internet

Memes, jokes and news reports filled our screens in June when the New York Times reported that the Marubo tribe in the Amazon rainforest had their lives turned upside down when they gained access to Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service.

Truth be told, the internet and smartphones weren’t new to this ancient tribe, which lives in seclusion in the depths of the Amazon forest in Brazil. But the speed offered by Starlink was made available to the Marubo people in September last year and the high-speed internet has done to them what it’s been doing to the rest of the world – it got everyone hooked.

While the ancient tribe acknowledges gaining many benefits such as being able to promptly call for help during emergencies and knowing what’s going on in the rest of the world, it also points to disadvantages like addiction to phones and pornography; and laziness in general.

Internet users would rather spend time browsing video after video on their phones than engaging in necessary activities such as hunting, farming and fishing.

Seeing people hooked on their phones is natural to us but to an ageless tribe that has been carefully preserving its forest based lifestyle and ancient culture, it’s profanity.

Yet, because the leaders have understood the need to stay connected, they’ve decided to live with the internet rather than without it – but with limitations. For instance, as reported, the tribal elders have limited internet access to two hours in the morning, five hours in the afternoon and all day on Sundays.

This situation poses several interesting points such as whether the internet will be our doom.

The Marubo have experienced addiction and laziness due to the allure of the internet, which is preventing them from wanting to do very much else. And for these forest tribes, hunting and fishing can’t be replaced by browsing, because they’re essential activities needed to sustain life rather than a pastime.

So will the internet ruin our cultures?

Marubo elders have shared how Western materialism has infiltrated the tribe and led youth to disregard cultural norms, such as not displaying sexual affection and activities in public.

And how about the threat of the internet breaking our ties with humanity?

The tribe laments members won’t even talk to each other now because they’d rather be on their phones.

Dissecting the Marubo case study is helpful for our own situations. It helps us understand how much control and power we have over the internet and digital technologies, and vice versa.

It’s tempting to think of the invention of the internet along the lines of the discovery of fire. When humans first discovered fire, it changed everything from how they consumed food to how they protected themselves; and later, how they built structures and civilisations.

Yet, it also changed how they fought, conquered and destroyed nature and other civilisations with weapons. It’s not that fire is good or evil; it’s how it’s used by those who wield it.

In the same way, the internet and array of digital technologies are neither good nor bad but their users could be wiser.

Protecting humanity from the dangers of the internet can’t be achieved by limiting access. It must however, be achieved by applying a series of strategies that range from education and awareness, to data protection and ethical governance. And this isn’t possible by a single party but by the unified efforts of governments, businesses, societies and individuals.

There are so many benefits in store for us, stemming from tech advancements.

It may take a lifeline to end world hunger and poverty, and it could be a weapon against climate change, to name a few positives. Yet, there will also be many ways in which users can manipulate it for destruction, theft, corruption, war and apocalyptic disasters.

What does this mean for future generations?

In a world poised to be governed by the internet, AI, machine learning and robots, how can humanity reap the benefits without becoming victims? How can we grow as humans without losing our humanity?

The answer is complex and challenging but we must find it; or else, we will either lose out or be wiped out.