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The freedom trap: digital nomads and the use of disciplining practices to manage work/leisure boundaries

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  • Dave Cook

    (University College London)

Abstract

The digital nomad idea of freedom is often a generalised and subjective notion of freedom that imagines a lifestyle and future where the tensions between work and leisure melt away. This paper finds that in practice, digital nomadism is not always experienced as autonomous and free but is a way of living that requires high levels of discipline and self-discipline. The research suggests that digital nomads often overlook the role of disciplining practices when first starting out, and do not foresee how working in sites of leisure and tourism might make managing a balance between work and non-work problematic. Longitudinal ethnographic fieldwork examines the extent of these disciplining practices and reveals that they are utilised to keep work and leisure time separate.

Suggested Citation

  • Dave Cook, 2020. "The freedom trap: digital nomads and the use of disciplining practices to manage work/leisure boundaries," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 355-390, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:infott:v:22:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s40558-020-00172-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s40558-020-00172-4
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    Cited by:

    1. Bednorz, Jan, 2024. "Working from anywhere? Work from here! Approaches to attract digital nomads," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    2. Aisha Sobey, 2023. "Obliged smart freedom: The Singaporean experience of advanced neoliberal-developmental governance," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(16), pages 3336-3352, December.
    3. Inge Hermann & Cody Morris Paris, 2020. "Digital Nomadism: the nexus of remote working and travel mobility," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 329-334, September.
    4. Ulrike Gretzel & Matthias Fuchs & Rodolfo Baggio & Wolfram Hoepken & Rob Law & Julia Neidhardt & Juho Pesonen & Markus Zanker & Zheng Xiang, 2020. "e-Tourism beyond COVID-19: a call for transformative research," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 187-203, June.
    5. Chenrui Yang & Jun Shao & Yamin Zhao, 2024. "Post-COVID-19 Sojourn Choices: Exploring the Distribution and Preferences of Chinese Digital Nomads Based on the Lifestyle Migration Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-25, December.
    6. Viorica Mirela Stefan-Duicu & Mihaela Sudacevschi, 2023. "Placement of the Professional Judgment in the Current Remote Working Environment," Global Economic Observer, "Nicolae Titulescu" University of Bucharest, Faculty of Economic Sciences;Institute for World Economy of the Romanian Academy, vol. 11(1), pages 126-132, May.
    7. Lacárcel, Francisco Javier S. & Huete, Raquel & Zerva, Konstantina, 2024. "Decoding digital nomad destination decisions through user-generated content," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    8. Altan Başaran, 2025. "Digital Nomads, the New Frontier of Work in the Digital Age: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-21, February.
    9. Blair Wang & Daniel Schlagwein & Dubravka Cecez-Kecmanovic & Michael C. Cahalane, 2025. "‘Emancipation’ in Digital Nomadism vs in the Nation-State: A Comparative Analysis of Idealtypes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 198(1), pages 35-68, April.
    10. Juan Parreño-Castellano & Josefina Domínguez-Mujica & Claudio Moreno-Medina, 2022. "Reflections on Digital Nomadism in Spain during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Effect of Policy and Place," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-19, December.
    11. Linao, Patricia Aida & Heimtun, Bente & Morgan, Nigel, 2024. "Digital nomadism, gender and racial power relations," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    12. Igor Mavrin & Corina Turșie & Marius Lupșa Matichescu, 2024. "Exploring Sustainable Tourism Through Virtual Travel: Generation Z’s Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-27, December.
    13. Aleksandrina Atanasova & Giana M Eckhardt & Katharina C Husemann, 2024. "Liquid Consumer Security," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 50(6), pages 1243-1264.
    14. Hakan Saraç, 2024. "Bibliometric Analysis of Publications on the Digital Nomad with VOSviewer," Journal of Social Policy Conferences, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, issue 87, pages 58-68, December.
    15. Tiberius, Victor & Chen, Nicole & Bartels, Mirko & Oelsnitz, Dietrich von der, 2024. "Breaking out! A netnography study on motives of a digital nomad lifestyle," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    16. Dan PAIUC & Andra Nicoleta ILIESCU & Ruxandra BEJINARU, 2024. "Cultural Intelligence: A Core Competence Of Knowmads In Multicultural Business Environment," Management Research and Practice, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 16(1), pages 5-25, March.
    17. Miao, Li & Yang, Fiona X. & Im, Jinyoung & Zhang, Qiao, 2024. "Flexwork and flextravel," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    18. Claire Estagnasié, 2023. "‘Working the time’: Time self-management practices of remote workers," Post-Print hal-04450916, HAL.

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