Research: Considerations of becoming digital nomads

In the study of motivational research in relation to the conversion of someone into a digital nomad, it is worth looking for the reasons why someone is not (or has not yet become) a digital nomad.

In the nomadic.report survey, one of the questions concerns this very point. All respondents (41 in number) have stated that they are not digital nomads and are asked to explain why (note that one can choose more than one reason).

So according to the answer graph, the most popular answer (29%) is “I just recently learned about this way of life”. This is probably the most interesting of all the answers and not just because it has been chosen most of the time. The answer implies that one must have been informed about this way of life in order to choose it. In other words, information is a condition of choice.

This answer would fit the question of choosing a product that we did not know existed, but choosing a lifestyle does not fall in the category. Because, choosing a lifestyle cannot be -of course- the result of a selection from a list of predetermined options.

Therefore, according to the above, we are forced to look “behind the answer” either from the side of the questioner or from the side of the respondent. As for the questioner’s side we could assume that either it is a wrong wording (ie a better wording would be “it never crossed my mind to do it” or “I have not thought about it until now”), or that the questioner himself considers that in order to become a digital nomad, appropriate information is required.

In the second part, that of the respondent, some remarks can be made as well:

1. A) That indeed, the choice of a way of life is the result of many factors. One of them may be the influence of third parties or the dynamics that a way of life develops (eg bohemianism).
2. B) That the respondent, realizing what digital nomadism consists of, is faced with a series of questions that he must ask himself in order to find out if he could also become a digital nomad (which are essentially the other options given in question).
3. C) That the concept or way of life of digital nomadism is not so popular in a way that everyone who is asked this question is ready for the answer. In short, we believe that the value of this answer is precisely this: That a large portion had not thought of it as a possibility, in order to have an answer as to why it does not belong to the digital nomads.

Regarding the second most popular answer (20%) this is related to the (alleged) cost of living that the digital nomad has. It is known that a portion of digital nomads consider the cost of living as a very important criterion for choosing a destination. That’s why low-cost destinations like Bali are so popular. However, for someone who already lives in a large European capital and is renting a house, surely the cost of living cannot be higher than moving to another city like Bali or Mexico. However, the survey does not provide demographics for non-nomadic respondents to further evaluate the answer.

The next answer concerns the profession that the (non) digital nomad does. According to the prevailing definition of what the digital nomad is, manual professions are excluded. For non-manual professions we can say that today not all professions are at a level of digital maturity such that they can be done remotely. Digital maturity first concerns the technological transformation which has not yet taken place or is at a very early stage. This category includes, for example, the profession of lawyers, since “digital trials” have only recently begun to be applied, and in fact very experimentally. Another corresponding branch is the medical doctors, since technologically telemedicine is not at a level that can replace autopsy of the patient.

Furthermore, the factors seem to include the emotional – family and ties of the respondent. Digital nomads are less likely to emerge from societies / social groups with strong social ties. On the contrary, we realize that in areas where the social fabric is relaxed or even non-existent, the reservations and concerns related to the disruption of contacts with the group (friends, family, etc.) will be much less. Such cases we consider to be large urban environments.