Perceived paradoxes between “home” and “away” in digital nomad livelihoods

Digital nomads appear to be living paradoxical livelihoods. While seeking freedom “away”, motivated by travel and social interaction, they remain tethered to “home” through work, culture and citizenship. This conceptual article reframes previously portrayed paradoxes into five tensions connected to leisure. First, work obstructs leisure, keeping individuals connected to home. Second, reliance on online spaces restricts the analogue experiences they sought to embrace. Third, citizenship enables travel while tying individuals to nation-states and, consequently, to “home”. Fourth, women, sexual and ethnic minorities seeking to find themselves “away” continue to face many of the same constraints they encounter at “home”. Finally, capitalist structures shape their livelihoods, constantly reminding them of “home” and contributing to stress. Future research on digital nomadism should theoretically explore how these tensions materialize. Methodologically, ethnographic approaches may generate new insight rather than relying solely on interlocutors’ own accounts. “Digital migrants”, those who become stationary, represent a particularly promising direction.