When I spent a year abroad in Colombia in 2017, I met a bird that is not so rare these days: a digital nomad. At the time, Mayer was a 29-year-old American from San Francisco, California. He has been traveling around the world for a year and has already crossed Central America. To finance his travels, the self-entrepreneur telecommutes as a UI/UX designer and is responsible for designing the user interfaces of websites and applications. His status as a “digital nomad” therefore allows him to have no permanent employer and to be as free as the air. He organizes his time the way he wants, often by charcoaling in the morning and visiting in the afternoon.
In 2007, this lifestyle was first mentioned by Timothy Ferriss in “The 4-Hour Week.” Work less, earn more and live better! (Ed. Pearson), where he recommends telecommuting in an affordable country to make the most of your income. Years later, the health crisis due to Covid-19 will explode the trend.
As a big traveler, the digital nomad roams hostels and co-working spaces with unlimited coffee and a good WiFi connection. In all capitals, this supporter of minimalism is immediately recognizable: his backpack bag on his back (with adapter, VPN, etc.). power strip), his laptop under his arm and noise-cancelling headphones screwed to his ears.
Pioneer of “Traces”
If his privileged airs can upset more than one person, the reality is often more nuanced. Take the example of Julien, the son of an “artisan lady” and a worker who never had the opportunity to travel. After starting his own business as a graphic designer, why should he have to pay a high rent to live in a poorly insulated pocket square on the seventh floor with no elevator, with mold and noise pollution? Especially since as a freelancer – a status that is often made mandatory by the flexibilization of work – he is faced with financial insecurity, but also with the difficulty of finding accommodation due to the lack of a permanent job and regular paychecks.
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As a pioneer of “traces” – a combination of “work” and “vacation” – the digital nomad knows no boundaries between private and professional life. Because he has an unstable job and works alone, he feels guilty when he spends too much time on the beach. A push and presto, he starts a series of missions again, even if it's borderline burnout. And it's a shame if it has no social benefit.
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