Welcome to the 21st Century

Big Sky Writer

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Welcome to the 21st Century

Big Sky Writer

Clint Morey

Jun 20, 2024

Transcript

In a world where digital connectivity is often taken for granted, some remote areas are just beginning to experience its impact

I know it’s hard to even imagine.

But that’s changing.

Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite service, is bringing the 21st century to people everywhere.

The Amazon Rainforest

There is a remote location in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil far from what most of us would call civilization. The Marubo people live there.

There are about 2,000 Marubos. They have their own language and live in large, thatched houses. Extended families live together and try to maintain their culture, history and customs.

Their land is a tropical rainforest, with many small hills, and interconnected peaks.

The Marubo people have relied on hunting, fishing, and agriculture to live. They grow manioc, bananas, and corn. They have lived that way as long as anyone could remember.

Welcome to the www

In September of 2023, their world changed.

The Marubo people were given access to the Internet and the Word Wide Web.

At first it seemed to be a miracle that enabled them to talk to loved ones who lived far away. And then there was the direct benefit of being able to call for help in an emergency. Many felt lives had been saved because of this miracle.

Not everything is sunshine and roses

But not everything that came from this “gift” Starlink provided was beneficial.

Some of the elders of the Marubo people feel the young people have grown lazy. They spend too much time on the internet instead of hunting, fishing, and farming — activities required if they want to eat.

And there were other problems. The Marubo people pass their history down orally, but now the young people are too preoccupied with chatting online, participating in social networks, playing video games, and watching pornography, so they don’t have time to interact with their elders and learn their history.

“Everyone is so connected,” said one leader,” that sometimes they don’t even talk to their own family.”

The adults finally came up with a rule. The young people could only spend 2 hours in the morning and 5 hours in the evening on the Internet.

For reference, a Pew Research Center poll said that teens in the United States spend about 8 hours and 39 minutes looking at a screen.

I think it’s only appropriate that we welcome the Marubo people to the 21st century.

Good luck, Marubo people.

I hope it works out better for you than it has for us.

I’d like to share a blessing with you from the Old Testament.

“May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 (The Living Bible)

Until next time … be the reason someone smiles today