The Lifestyle Mobility Framework of Digital Nomads

“Mobility” is a modern term – especially social sciences- that explores the movements of people, ideas, capital, things etc. in the context of a globalized society and economy.

Although mobility has many manifestations and endings, the reason we are interested in the study of digital nomadism, is precisely because the ease of movement of people is one of the first factors that led to the subsequent creation of what is called “location Independence”.

Globalisation, the ease of movement of people and goods, the development of individualism and wireless telecommunications are some of the reasons that have contributed to modern mobility as a lifestyle and, by extension, to digital nomadism, as a form of mobility as a way of life ^[1] Hannonen O (2020).  In search of a digital nomad: defining the phenomenon Information Technology & Tourism (2020) 22:335–353.

Lifestyle Mobility

The term “lifestyle” refers to changes related to the meta-fordist or otherwise post-industrial society, where identity is less based on economic – social class but on the way the person consumes or spends in conjunction with his choices and can be defined as a way of life ^[2]Duncan  et  al. (2013) . Lifestyle  Mobilities. Ashgate. 5-12.

Mobility as a way of life refers precisely to the mobilities (i.e. all movements) related to the lifestyle as an identity and not to something else (such as migration, work,  etc.). That’s exactly what happens digital nomads. Their work is not the reason of their mobility.

In this context, several researchers^[3]O’Reilly K, Benson M (2009) Lifestyle migration: escaping to the good life? In: Benson M, O’Reilly K (eds) Lifestyle migrations: expectations, aspirations and experiences. Ashgate, Surrey, pp … Continue reading consider that “lifestyle mobility” is a combination of migration and tourism and, therefore, in order to examine the phenomenon, we need to include the interrelationships between the two types (or reasons) of movement. According to Cohen, lifestyle mobility is defined as “continuous movements of varying durations with many stations without any plans to return home” ^[4]Cohen  SA,  Duncan  T,  Thulemark  M. 2015. Lifestyle mobilities: the crossroads of travel, leisure and migration. Mobilities  Vol  10  Issue  1. 155–172.

Lifestyle Migration

However, “lifestyle mobility” should be separated from “lifestyle migration” (migration due to a lifestyle), primarily because the latter has a permanence character and not a temporary character as the former has. In the case of lifestyle migration, the person migrates not for work purposes but because he is looking for a way of a better and fulfilled way of life especially in relation to the one he leaves behind ^[5]Benson, M. and  O’Reilly, K. 2009. Migration and the search for a better way of life: a critical exploration of lifestyle migration. The Sociological Review,  Vol. 57  Issue  4, 608–625.

Digital Nomadism as a Lifestyle Mobility

As it has already been mentioned, in trying to frame the phenomenon of digital nomadism, we could classify it as a subcategory of  “lifestyle mobility” (“mobility as a way of life”) because, taking into account the motivations and behavior of nomads:

• They are not moved for job reasons.
• They are not moved for work-related needs (as is the case with the business traveler).
• It is not related to meeting living needs or for security reasons (such as refugees).
• It is inextricably related to the services, experiences and lifestyles provided at the destination.
• Digital nomads have designed their way of working so that it can be done location independently.