Digital nomadism has been around for a few decades now. However, only after the recent lockdowns did digital nomadism reach its current popularity. It seems that many people tried out working from home and now they want to put it to good use. But there is one group that fits into the nomad lifestyle perfectly: Generation Z. But why is that?
Online home
No previous generation had such a wide opportunity to be so comfortable and familiar with the online space. Most Gen Z has been online for as long as they can remember. And while their parents might bemoan the fact that they didn’t go swing on a tire tied to a tree or run through a field or something, there is no denying the fact that the current world is going online more and more every day.
And it is increasingly Gen Z that are being asked to explain not so much the technical workings but the culture of the internet. The online space has its own expectations of language, communication, and cadence that only those who grew up with it seem to fully understand. And there are companies, non-profits, and larger-scale projects that are hungry to understand. In this way, Gen Z has a unique position in the industry to dictate their type of work and remote work can be part of that.
Socially conscious
While the Millennial generation has gotten the pejorative “snowflake” thrown at it, Gen Z seems to be immune to this, probably due to the many recent events that have made the younger generation anything but complacent and comfortable.
The coronavirus pandemic and the two economic downturns worldwide have created low expectations for the future in many Gen Z circles. But this has, paradoxically, put Gen Z into a better position to be self-sufficient and have more realistic goals. Try going to the moon and you’ll crash like bitcoin, but Gen Z focuses instead on care, community building, and more long-term ideas of sustainability and survival. And all these qualities are badly needed for any digital nomad as well.
Community-conscious
Gen Z has been more community conscious in a global sense than most generations. Organizing, finding friends, or even finding love online is something that is part of their everyday experience and this is a key skill for digital nomads as well.
But since Gen Z has a clearer idea of community and sustainability, the previous generations of digital nomads could learn a thing or two from them. The focus on ecological travel, social justice, and being culturally aware could benefit the nomadic lifestyle greatly since these are exactly the issues nomads grapple with today.
Diversity as a way of life
Lastly, since Gen Z spends so much time online, a great number of them (though not all) have been exposed to a much more diverse spectrum of people than previous generations. And many of them want more.
Learning about new cultures and understanding the diverse ideas about the world and life around us is the bedrock of digital nomadism. And a generation of young people who grew up with diversity as a normal state of the world might want to travel and enjoy more of it as nomads. So even in such a short overview, it’s clear digital nomadism and Gen Z have a lot in common.
