Embarking on a journey in April, I trekked over 50 miles through the lush Amazon rainforest to reach the secluded villages of the Marubo community. This tribe of 2,000 members had recently embraced high-speed internet, prompting my curiosity about its impact on their daily lives.
During my week-long stay, I witnessed firsthand how the internet served as a vital tool for inter-village communication, connecting with distant family members, and seeking assistance during emergencies. However, some Marubo individuals expressed apprehension about the potential threat to their cultural heritage, which had been safeguarded for generations through their deep forest dwelling. Concerns were raised about the younger generation’s excessive screen time, the proliferation of gossip in online group chats, and the exposure of minors to explicit content.
Subsequently, the narrative we unveiled on June 2 delved into the Marubo people’s encounter with the negative aspects of the internet.
Following the publication, a startling twist unfolded.
In the past week, over 100 websites worldwide disseminated misleading headlines alleging that the Marubo community had succumbed to a porn addiction. Accompanying these headlines were images of the Marubo individuals in their villages.
The New York Post was among the initial publications to claim that the Marubo people were “hooked on porn.” This assertion was swiftly echoed by numerous others, with TMZ’s headline being particularly sensational: “TRIBE’S STARLINK HOOKUP RESULTS IN PORN ADDICTION!!!”
Requests for clarification from The Post and TMZ went unanswered.
Similar misleading headlines proliferated globally, spanning countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, Nigeria, Mexico, and Chile. Even Russia’s RT disseminated the claim in Arabic. The spread of misinformation extended to videos, memes, and social media posts.
In Brazil, the unfounded rumor gained traction, reaching the small Amazonian towns where some Marubo individuals now reside, work, and study.
Contrary to the sensationalized reports, the Marubo people are not addicted to pornography. This notion was absent during my time in the forest and was not insinuated in The New York Times’s article.
Instead, the article highlighted a concern raised by a Marubo leader regarding the sharing of pornography by some Marubo minors in WhatsApp group chats. This was deemed troubling, given that Marubo culture disapproves of public displays of affection.
Many of the websites that distorted this information operate as news aggregators, capitalizing on sensational headlines to attract viewers and generate revenue through advertisements.
While these sites may link back to the original source, they often misrepresent the content, exploiting legal protections.
For seasoned internet users, such tactics are recognizable, but for the Marubo community, it was a bewildering and infuriating experience.
“These allegations are baseless, false, and reflect a biased narrative that undermines our autonomy and identity,” stated Enoque Marubo, a prominent Marubo leader…
2024-06-11 12:52:37
Link from www.nytimes.com