Most people believe digital nomadism is the ultimate dream; the best of both worlds. The digital nomad is neither a tourist nor a resident, but something in between which allows them to earn money whilst exploring the world at their own pace and on their own terms. For those who feel confined by their 9-5 office job, the idea of becoming a digital nomad could be very appealing – but there are downsides to the lifestyle that often go overlooked.
‘Digital nomad’ is a fairly broad term – it can refer to entrepreneurs, freelancers or job hoppers. The one thing which every digital nomad has in common, however, is the way they rely on technology to bridge the gap of geographical distance between themselves and their work. Although being a digital nomad in the likes of San Francisco, London or other expensive cities might not be a viable option unless you have an especially stable income, there’s a seemingly endless list of cheaper destinations where digital nomads can reside for a period time before moving on to the next location which catches their fancy.
The experience can often be more fulfilling than what it would be for tourists, who spend a limited time in one place and rush to fit in as many tourist activities as possible. Digital nomads, on the contrary, can delve deeper into a place’s culture and history – living life as a local would, if only for a few months. Adjusting to foreign customs, trying new cuisines and struggling through communication difficulties is all part of the challenge; a challenge which most digital nomads intentionally seek out.
But apart from the luxury of globetrotting, many digital nomads enjoy the freedom they have in structuring their own day. Many digital nomads work for themselves in that they are responsible for their own clients, meaning they manage their time however they please, putting in only the hours necessary to complete their projects and tasks. Dan Andrews, a self-proclaimed digital nomad, stated;
“For me the biggest luxury is time… I have a lot of it to spend doing the things I love, like hanging out with friends, reading books, and just bumming around and exploring.”
It sounds like a win-win, and for many people it is. Living comfortably as a nomad is fully possible – but only if you do it right. There are a lot of challenges that people sometimes forget to consider before making the switch from stable office job to the great unknown.
Blurring the lines between play and work, with living spaces often doubling up as offices, can make it difficult for digital nomads to “shut off”. This can have the effect of making digital nomads work longer hours than ideal, or simply not enough hours. Getting the balance right takes a lot of experience and discipline.
The exotic and diverse places visited by digital nomads might seem like paradise, but anxiously hunting for wifi with a deadline bearing down from three time zones away is less fun. Finding time to rest and actually enjoy your surroundings can be difficult when clients, deadlines and emails all need your attention – sometimes long after midnight.
That’s not to mention the stress that can come with an irregular income. It can be difficult predicting exactly when you’ll get paid – and how much – when your work is commission or performance based. Online poker player Rebecca Clarke describes the ups and downs of being a digital nomad whose main income derives from online poker rooms;
“One month you’ll have an incredible income, then the next couple of months you’ll be earning a third of that…the inconsistency makes it hard to plan. Vigorous budgeting and saving is a necessity for me – not a choice.”
Then there is the social aspect. Digital nomads inevitably end up missing important social events – whether it be an after work teambuilding exercise or a friend’s birthday party. Socialising and particularly dating becomes a challenge because constantly being on the move leaves one little time to form connections. Then of course, there’s the sense of ‘home’ most of us take for granted. The rock around which we build stability, comfort and friendships doesn’t exist in the same way for a digital nomad, which can result in loneliness or detachment. As high-profile blogger Mark Manson puts it:
“I hiked a volcano and a glacier 2,000 miles apart in the same week. But I did this all alone… the price of overwhelming freedom is often my isolation.”
It is also worth considering that many people who promote the digital nomadism lifestyle do so because they themselves are building a business and profiting out of it, glossing over the negatives with endless positivity and carefully composed Instagrams of Bali. Advertising revenue from travel blogs and biased reviews means common obstacles of digital nomadism are overlooked.
Regardless, it’s clear that digital nomadism is a lifestyle that continues to grow in popularity. A survey conducted by global freelancing platform Upwork in 2014 found that 39% of their freelancers considered themselves digital nomads, and of these almost half had become nomads in the past year. An incredible 79% of those said they expected to be digital nomads for the rest of their lives.
In response to this growing trend, start-ups have been working on concepts based around ‘co-working spaces’ – shared accommodation or offices that exist in various places throughout the world. These come fitted with all the working amenities a digital nomad might need; printers, coffee machines and, of course, wifi. For £47 a night, Surf Office can provide you with a private room, shared bathroom and kitchen, plus access to meeting rooms and modern offices in Lisbon and Gran Canaria. The startup Roam, which operates in Madrid, Bali and Miami, allows you to sign a lease and take advantage of a number of fully-equipped, state of the art houses worldwide.
Online communities have also grown around the movement. Nomad List provides information on the best cities to live in based on factors like safety, weather and wifi availability, with thousands of members discussing and planning their next trip. Many nomads report that the social aspects and sense of belonging offered by these services and communites go a long way towards quelling the isolation of a nomadic life.
For better or worse, technology is transforming the traditional 9-5 work culture into something much more flexible – and global. For some, it’s a practical and welcomed change. Others, in the meanwhile, will long back to the days when there were stronger work structures and conveniently centralized work spaces. One thing’s for certain, though– for all its perks, digital nomadism is not without its drawbacks.