The population dynamics of rural areas in the semi-arid region of Brazil has been marked by a drastic decrease in population, especially in the last 50 years. Researchers of the demographic dynamics point out that the great change observed in the last years is the conversion of the generalized rural exodus into a more selective process, which preferentially sends the young and highly productive population to the cities. This selective exodus of young people intensifies the aging of the population, a social phenomenon that marks the most recent period. The sudden arrival of new technologies, like the internet and mobile networks, to the rural countryside of Brazil has enabled a profound cultural transformation. The current generation, now instantly connected to new references, has begun to migrate in search of opportunities away from the isolation and hard work in the agricultural fields. More and more young people, even those from humble backgrounds living at the edge of the cities, want to be included in contemporary, urban “consumer” society. Amidst this strange, shifting landscape, many choose to remain in their places of origin, perpetuating a connection with their physical and symbolic universes. Thus, the older generation that remains may be the last representative of a traditional culture. Meanwhile, the twinned processes of youth exodus and slow but inevitable modernization in the rural areas themselves are made glaringly evident by the isolation of these still tradition-bound individuals. While everything around them changes, they are unable to incorporate new, contemporary practices into their daily lives. This essay reflects the current context of the traditional populations of the semi-arid countryside of Brazil facing the youth exodus and modernization, which materializes in the isolation of its members unable to incorporate new contemporary practices.