Digital Nomads: Global Citizens or Modern-Day Colonizers?
Why digital nomads aren’t the force for good they claim to be.
Digital nomads aren’t making many friends these days. The newer wave of post-pandemic nomads (not to be confused with the OG crowd teaching English to kids in China pre-pandemic kind of digital nomads — you’re off the hook) want everyone, including themselves, to believe they’ve gamed the system. They’re supposedly pioneering the ultimate work/life balance, claiming, “All we need is a good internet connection!” as they sip their flat whites or nitro coffees (depending on the weather). They see their lifestyle as the pinnacle of freedom, buying experiences, not things — while ironically diluting the experiences of those around them.
They’re Clones.
This irony is lost on them. They see themselves as trailblazers, rebels who’ve broken free from the drudgery of office life. To them, the “9-to-5ers” are the clones. But in reality, they all look the same, act the same, buy the same brands, and spread the same bland culture everywhere they go.
With their spending power as they frequent places where they take advantage of the economic situation, new cafes and restaurants spring up to cater to their generic, Instagram-friendly tastes. Every coffee shop suddenly has…
