It’s an interesting question
One I’d like to dismiss outright, but does require more thought.
The first time I heard a digital nomad equated to a colonist was in 2023 in Medellin.
I saw a poster in Laureles, Medellin and plastered in large letters
Nomadas Digitales = Colonizadores Temporales
Digital Nomads = Temporary Colonizers.
My immediate emotional reaction is to say no.
This feels like another example of (usually young rich white) people, and people on Twitter co-opting a word in order to place the world into two categories.
- White people who have the money and power
- And non-white people who are struggling to thrive due to the oppression from the systems white people created.
That dynamic has illuminated a lot of things in the world, but when it becomes a dogma and you apply that filter to every situation, it becomes sloppy.
A video created about a year ago, I can’t always be so serious about these topics 😂
To start off what is colonialism?
According to Encyclopedia Britannica (Britain knows a thing about colonialism 😂)
Colonialism is control by one country over another area and its people
We can agree that digital nomads are not countries….
So if a definition from the masters of colonialism doesn’t give us any interesting insight, let’s try think out what colonialism is.
Richard Francis Burton, a British explorer. He spoke 29 languages and even entered Mecca dressed up as a middle eastern man – at a time when westerns would be killed for entering. While he did all these super interesting things, he was a cog in the British colonial machine.
Disclaimer for the army of know-it-alls (or maybe just the voices in my head)
- I am not a historian, and most people who are saying nomads are colonists aren’t PHD’s in sociology or history either – so it evens out.
- If you are a historian or sociologist with a masters level degree or more, please send me a message with your credentials and your perceptions, and I’ll consider them.
- If you don’t hold those credentials, and want to yell at me – find someone influential and use their platform to complain about me on, include as many personally damaging things as you can. I don’t want to pay a PR team to get media mentions, so that would help me out huge.
Now that we got that out of the way…
As a white American man in the 21st century what do I think Colonialism is?
This can be a bit tough to define to be honest.
At first glance it feels like it is exploitation of local resources in a foreign land.
However, there are plenty of multi-national companies doing that and I wouldn’t call that colonialism.
I have heard a lot about Neo-colonialism, so maybe that could be a good starting point.
According to Chat GPT
Neo-colonialism refers to the practice by which powerful countries or corporations indirectly control or heavily influence less powerful, often formerly colonized, nations. Unlike traditional colonialism—where a foreign power rules a territory directly—neo-colonialism operates through economic, political, cultural, and technological pressures rather than outright occupation.
So it’s not neo-colonialism either
- 🚫 Digital Nomads are not aligned with powerful countries or corporations
- 🚫 Digital Nomads do not bring any explicit political power or agenda, especially not at a country-wide level
So we’re at another crossroads
However, I am committed to finding an argument here.
So, let’s take the themes from these two definitions, and see if we can map some of them onto Digital Nomads
- ✅ Digital Nomads usually have more economic power than the local population – I am writing this from a cafe in Paris, and an average whitecollar salary in the US is considerably higher than white collar salaries even in France.
- ✅ There are economic pressures that digital nomads bring – If you are part of a big enough group that has money, local businesses are going to change to cater more to your tastes – that’s capitalism, man.
- ✅ Cultural changes will happen if there are enough digital nomads somewhere long enough – Just take a look at Bali…
So I would agree in saying that
Areas with large populations of digital nomads will undergo economic and cultural changes
For this reason, I would say that digital nomadism is a form of gentrification.
So let’s be clear on what gentrification is.
According to Chat GPT
Gentrification is the process by which wealthier individuals and businesses move into historically lower-income neighborhoods, leading to rising property values, increased rent, and changes in the area’s cultural and social character. While it often brings new investment and improvements in infrastructure, it can also displace long-time residents and small businesses that can no longer afford the costs of living there.
To pretend that this process is not happening in digital nomad hubs all over the world would be a lie.
Something comes up, though when I admit this.
I notice that my chest is a bit tighter, my mind scrambles to find a group that I can make the scapegoat.
So maybe digital nomads are gentrifiers, but you don’t understand
- That many were gentrified out of their own hometowns by wealthier individuals, or real estate corporations. So they’re the real monsters.
- The government doesn’t give a shit about the population, or they’d do something. The government are the real bastards.
- That I am here to try to learn the local language and culture, and keep it alive. At least I’m not like X group that comes here and doesn’t care about local culture.
- That I am different because X,Y, Z. But [insert scapegoat group] are the real monsters.
There’s always another group you can pass the blame onto.
It is a natural response to pass the blame onto someone else when someone is attacking you for something you know to be true.
On top of this – there is a massive political system, and content creators (of all levels ) that keep track of these scapegoats and find ways to get more attention, power and money by perpetuating these narratives.
However, I’m not going to allow myself to pass the blame onto someone else.
I am a force of gentrification.
A video from one of my favorite cafe’s in Medellin, Colombia. A city that has undoubtedly changed due to digital nomads
Digital Nomad Communities Are Gentrifiers
Colonizers – I don’t think so, but gentrifiers for sure.
So What Do We Do now?
The way I see it, we have a couple choices
- Accept it, and figure out how to mitigate the damage we are causing
- Accept it, and give up on digital nomadding
- Deny it outright
- Find a scapegoat and compare yourself favorably to that scapegoat
I’d prefer Choice #1
Let’s accept it, now what can we do about it.
Let’s start with some foundational work though
“All the do-gooders in the world are trouble-makers. On the basis of ‘Kindly let me help you or you will drown’ said the monkey putting the fish safely up a tree. “
Alan Watts
I would highly recommend listening to this lecture of his over and over again.
I think this is a good reminder before we begin this work.
There’s a chance all of this is a waste of time, that any recommendations I make here will only exacerbate the problems created, or create new problems that we never predicted.
Don’t forget so easily the history of colonialism
Groups of missionaries going to spread the word of God.
The intention to save the world laid much of the foundation that colonialism used to come in and take over countries.
I remember talking to a particularly extreme individual about Christian missionaries
She told me that
“even the missionaries knew what colonialism was all about”
This attitude is exactly how the problems of this world are repeated.
What we often overlook is that even the most catastrophic movements are fueled by millions who believe they’re helping the world.
But you, of course, you would never be mislead by such blatant ethno-centricism.
You’re far more self-aware and empirical than those people.
It is essential that we remember
Many priests and missionaries that were part of horrible things believed they were saving local people.
If you believe that you aren’t also capable of making the same mistake
Maybe just stop reading this, you already know everything
This article is a waste of your time
So what does helping look like then?
Recognizing that you don’t know more about local peoples lives than they do.
Yes maybe you sat in college classes or listened to theories on why these people are in the situation they’re in and how you can help them, but that doesn’t mean that any of those theories actually work in the real world.
Maybe you believe that certain things you see are forms of oppression for women, or are backwards beliefs due to a lack of understanding in science, etc.
but that doesn’t mean you know a better way to live than they do.
Maybe accept that the little world you created in your head isn’t the only way to understand things.
If you can’t drop that arrogance, then I’m afraid you are prone to the folly Alan Watts outlined
‘Kindly let me help you or you will drown’ said the monkey putting the fish safely up a tree.
Finding local movements
The world doesn’t need another rich person coming into a less privileged area and helping out.
Haiti has had 10,000+ NGO’s in the country, and it clearly isn’t working.
Haiti, does not need another group of foreigners coming in to “save the poor Haitians”
They need another Toussaint Louverture.
Toussaint Louverture, was the general who lead the movement to liberate Haiti. Haiti was the first colonized country to kick out it’s colonizers in 1804.
Another Example of an incredible leader
Nanny Of The Maroons, In Jamaica. She lead rebellions against the British from independent colonies deep in the mountains of Jamaica. These colonies are known as maroons, maroons were found all around the world, I would check out the histories – super interesting.
One More For Good MEasure
Simon Bolivar, the leader who freed large swaths of South America, then created ‘Gran Colombia’ – a country I think should re-unite again, personally.
Yes these people had their own issues, but they achieved far more than you and I will ever do.
People in these areas are every bit as capable as any of us
So maybe you don’t need to find a Toussant Louverture, but find a leader in the community, who is from that community.
We should be finding ways to support local centers, leaders and movements.
Support movements that started in that local community, from people who deeply understand the community, the issues they face and how to effectively help.
Visit these communities, members, etc.
See what they’re doing
And if you feel good about it, then find time, money or both to help out.
These aren’t always easy to find, sometimes it takes a lot of Googling / asking around.
And Maybe It Won’t Work
Maybe you have horrible judgment, maybe your money only ends up going toward some guy’s drug habit.
Maybe your “help” supports a movement that causes kids to get abused by a trusted leader.
Maybe your perspective is so limited and futile, there’s no way you could ever be part of a big change.
Maybe
However
I think you try your hardest to vet a movement as well as you can, and eventually have faith that what you did will help, in it’s own small way.
There’s a great anecdote by Kenyan Activist Wangari Maathai about a hummingbird during a forest fire.
All the animals in the forest come out and they are transfixed as they watch the forest burning and they feel very overwhelmed, very powerless, except this little hummingbird. It says, ‘I’m going to do something about the fire!’ So it flies to the nearest stream and takes a drop of water. It puts it on the fire, and goes up and down, up and down, up and down, as fast as it can.
In the meantime all the other animals, much bigger animals like the elephant with a big trunk that could bring much more water, they are standing there helpless. And they are saying to the hummingbird, ‘What do you think you can do? You are too little. This fire is too big. Your wings are too little and your beak is so small that you can only bring a small drop of water at a time.’
But as they continue to discourage it, it turns to them without wasting any time and it tells them, ‘I am doing the best I can.’
do the best you can
Try to support local businesses, try to keep local culture alive, try to give back to people in the community who need it.
Try your best to support what’s already there, give local leaders and communities the respect they deserve.
It’s corny but if you do your part, we can try to offset the affects of what we’re doing.
Digital Nomadism isn’t going anywhere
- We can deny it’s effects
- Try to pass the blame onto someone else
- Or we can try to be a little less shitty
When I find local movements, I’ll add them to my digital nomad guides.
If you know of any good movements in the places I’ve written guides on, please contact me with as much information as possible about the movement.