Digital nomads as economic actors: Features of socioeconomic practice

The article discusses the insufficiently explored problem of the economic status of digital nomads. For this purpose, the features of their socioeconomic practice are identified, which make it possible to define these features as economic actors. The theoretical foundations of the article are the theories of the post-industrial and information society, sociological and economic research on the employment of independent workers, scholarly works that constitute the concept of digital nomads and explore various practices of digital nomadism. The empirical basis was formed by the published results of sociological studies of non-traditional employment, as well as the available data from the analysis of specialized Internet resources, virtual polls and interviews obtained using netnography methods. The first part of the article clarifies the content of the concept “digital nomads” by identifying such distinctive features as geographic and social mobility, features of the technical and information support of a mobile lifestyle. Based on the results of a comparative analysis of the geographical mobility of different types of independent workers and travelers, the author concludes that digital nomads' relocations are prolonged, do not imply a permanent residence and are not associated with professional activities. As for social mobility, it is realized as professional mobility for mastering related types of work and deepening professional specialization. Further, the article investigates the specificity of the use of specialized digital technologies and information services, which is determined by the role of these technologies and services in achieving a balance between work and leisure, professional and everyday communication. The author proves that digital nomads can independently solve technological problems and form requests for the creation of applications, context-sensitive systems, technological and environmental infrastructure, etc., which allows them to be considered full-fledged actors in the digital economy. The second part of the article clarifies the specifics of digital nomads in the context of the analysis of such aspects of their socioeconomic practice as production, consumption, attitudes towards property and employment. The author argues that mobile lifestyle is driving the demand for companies to meet the needs of digital nomads. The entrepreneurial thinking formed by a mobile lifestyle allows them not only to work by hire, but also to start their own businesses. The comparison of digital nomads, freelancers, and self-employed citizens showed that they form overlapping sets with such a common feature as remote precarious work. Digital nomads, as independent economic actors, are distinguished by a high level of education and professional training; having a job with income sufficient to support a mobile lifestyle; the ability to determine the forms of labor organization and monitor the fulfillment of the terms of the employment contract; significant freedom in the choice of the sphere of production and provision of services.

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