ICTworks

In the dense foliage of the Amazon rainforest, the Marubo tribe, a remote indigenous community, recently witnessed a monumental change: the arrival of Starlink internet connectivity. This event, as detailed in a recent New York Times article, marks a significant technological leap.

After only nine months, the tribe is already encountering a barrage of challenges that urban societies have grappled with over decades: addiction to digital devices, exposure to online scams, and the spread of misinformation, among others.

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This sudden exposure to the digital world brings with it the realization that while the internet can be a gateway to knowledge, it can also be a source of significant disruption. The indigenous communities, which have preserved their ways of life against the encroachments of modernity, are now facing the full spectrum of the internet’s impact on culture and identity in a much condensed timeframe, without the tools to grapple with this firehose of information.

Internet Access – For-Profit Human Right

In 2016, the United Nations declared internet access to be a human right, building on the 1948 declaration that access to information was a human right. Unfortunately, this particular human right has been left to the market to provide, which has had detrimental effects globally, which we’re only beginning to realize.

The for-profit nature of each and every aspect of the internet is now brought to you by major corporations no longer facing competitive markets. Their focus is primarily on increasing the number of users (consumers), rather than ensuring that the experience is beneficial and safe.

It’s not a mistake that the largest technology companies providing some (significant) component of the internet to the public, like X, Starlink, Amazon, AWS, Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp are helmed by just three mega-wealthy CEOs, whose combined net worth exceeds $14.2 trillion.

The internet today is commercialized, predatory, and mining users for their information to profit from them, and most users simply don’t realize this. The newest users globally most certainly don’t. Moreover, the internet is only available to those who can afford it, and therefore only half of the world is meaningfully connected.

Importance of Digital and Information Literacy

The introduction of the internet in remote communities underscores a crucial issue: the need for digital and information literacy.

• Digital literacy allows individuals to navigate and use digital platforms effectively
• Information literacy empowers them to critically evaluate and utilize information.

These are the essential skills for safe and productive internet use but are nearly by definition lacking in newly connected communities.

The problems arising from this gap are not trivial. In our work with communities across the developing world, we see mis/disinformation striking people from the first time they connect to the internet. Farmers are targeted with financial scams on WhatsApp, women and girls become the targets of sexual violence as pornography circulates, and communities are decimated by mis/disinformation about HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, or cholera, to name a few.

The risk is highest among those with the least experience with information. The situation of the Marubo tribe is a case in point, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive educational programs to accompany technological implementations.

Unique Challenge of Information Literacy

While digital literacy involves the technical skills to use internet tools, information literacy is more complex and arguably more important. Information literacy requires a deeper, more nuanced understanding and longer training, which is often overlooked by entities eager to connect the unconnected. It involves the ability to discern the reliability of various information sources, an essential skill in an era dominated by digital misinformation.

Not many organizations even recognize that missing skillsets is a problem, let alone that there is a significant difference between digital and information literacy. Far fewer devote the budget, time, effort, and training it takes to build skills to meaningfully use the internet.

In response to these challenges, several initiatives have emerged that aim to integrate connectivity with education, or even build these skillsets among the 4 billion people still offline, before the internet reaches them.

Projects like Arizona State University’s SolarSPELL use solar-powered digital libraries to provide educational resources in areas without internet access. These libraries not only offer locally relevant content but also include training programs to develop digital and information literacy skills among community members.

Other organizations, like the Offline Internet Consortium, have been formed to raise awareness of the fact that half the world’s population still lacks usable internet, and that there remains a need for offline approaches to address this challenge.

A Call for Responsible Connectivity

As the world continues its push for wider internet connectivity, especially in remote and underserved areas, we must also advocate for responsible implementation strategies that include robust educational frameworks to combat the rise of misinformation and other digital harms.

It is imperative that connectivity initiatives, especially in culturally sensitive and isolated regions like the Amazon, are paired with comprehensive information literacy programs. Only then can we ensure that the internet remains a tool for empowerment rather than a source of disempowerment.

By focusing on empowering local communities to harness the internet’s benefits safely, we can help mitigate the risks associated with digital connectivity. This approach not only respects the cultural integrity and autonomy of local populations but also contributes to a more inclusive and equitable digital future.

By Dr. Laura Hosman, Co-Founder and Director of SolarSPELL and her team