‘Tired’, ‘lonely’ and hated by locals: the reality for the digital nomad • Hacker News Board

Re: ‘Tired’, ‘lonely’ and hated by locals: the reality for the digital nomad

#31

Post by bombcar » Thu, Jun 01, 2023, 5:31 PM UTC

dfxm12 wrote: post #24

manuelabeledo wrote: post #14

This looks like non news to me. People don't "hate" digital nomads (and the article itself does not even back up this claim from the headline). In fact, most people do not even notice them most of the time, as they don't make up for a significant percentage of the population anywhere. There will be always small and very vocal groups, complaining about effectively irrelevant things like this. That is not newsworthy. >…

One common thread among the people profiled in the article is that they are all "influencers". I do think there there's something unique to influencers vs other digital nomads. There's something off putting about the egoism of thinking you're giving back to the world by broadcasting your life. It's probably more that aspect that people "hate", not necessarily the digital nomad aspect.

This is probably the linchpin. Same thing with "tourist hate" I've read about; I've never had any major issues anywhere I've gone, but then again I don't do the "stereotypical asshole tourist" stuff.

"Influencer" is almost synonymous with "online asshole".

Re: ‘Tired’, ‘lonely’ and hated by locals: the reality for the digital nomad

#32

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Jun 01, 2023, 5:34 PM UTC

hef19898 wrote: post #6

wing-_-nuts wrote: post #4

'Hated by locals' is a stretch. I don't think the number of digital nomads is enough to have any meaningful impact on rents or real estate prices in most countries. This is just xenophobia in another form.

A whole of locals, from Lissabon to Bali, actually might disagree. Not to talk about the defacto visa and tax fraud some digital nomads commit. Nothing wrong with going to live and work in a certain place. But do it the proper way: get a work visa if you have to and register for taxes like everyone else. Otherwise your taxes not paid are an unfair advantage compared to locals, it is illegal and basically cheating.

[deleted]

Re: ‘Tired’, ‘lonely’ and hated by locals: the reality for the digital nomad

#33

Post by dymk » Thu, Jun 01, 2023, 5:34 PM UTC

denimnerd42 wrote: post #5

I see stickers placed by locals in these spots basically telling the digital nomads to GTFO. Covid really amped up the hate. It's unfortunate both ways.

One person can put up 100 stickers. It's the kind of thing where you go "Huh" and then never notice it again.

When I moved to Seattle, I noticed the "Fuk U Techie" stickers, but I pretty quickly tuned out NIMBY screeching.

Re: ‘Tired’, ‘lonely’ and hated by locals: the reality for the digital nomad

#34

Post by bombcar » Thu, Jun 01, 2023, 5:35 PM UTC

swader999 wrote: post #28

briga wrote: post #7

Are remote workers who don’t choose a digital nomad lifestyle somehow immune from being tired, lonely and hated by locals? As far as I can tell all of these issues are just as real for the average tech worker working in a big hub. The difference is being a digital nomad offers way more flexibility on how you live your life and the variety of culture you get to experience.

I work remotely in a rural ranching area. Since almost day one we've been fully integrated. The key is our kids. We all do the same sports and kids activities together. We even go to branding parties and help out a lot. It was a real commitment moving down here we didn't just decide to live in an area, we joined a community. I could see how things would be very different if we didn't do that.

This is it; if the ONLY interactions you have with others are negative, they will view you negatively. So if you hide in your house all day and only emerge to complain about the neighbor's dog or something, you're going to be disliked.

All you have to do to counteract much of that is just say hi now and then, talk a little bit. Kids help tremendously here, because they have absolutely zero filters and feel it's entirely appropriate to run up to random strangers and yell "I POOPED".

Re: ‘Tired’, ‘lonely’ and hated by locals: the reality for the digital nomad

#35

Post by ghaff » Thu, Jun 01, 2023, 5:35 PM UTC

stcroixx wrote: post #22

Yeah, no part of that lifestyle would be appealing to me. Travel has diminishing returns for me personally and I'm definitely at the point where it's more of a chore than something I look forward to, unless it's to ski.

I like traveling but I've never done it for more than a month at a time and, with some brief exceptions (mostly when I've been doing "enough" work for a few days not to take vacation when I've been mixing things up with business travel), I've mostly never traveled somewhere on my own where I'm trying to both work full-time and fully enjoy the location I'm traveling too for pleasure.

Re: ‘Tired’, ‘lonely’ and hated by locals: the reality for the digital nomad

#36

Post by witchesindublin » Thu, Jun 01, 2023, 5:35 PM UTC

lemax wrote: post #25

I like to think that you are either consuming culture or contributing to it – if all you are there to do is consume, you may be better off in a place less foreign. I've found that taking the time to integrate with the people, learning the local language and overall just trying really hard to fit in with the rhythm around me has melded quite a different experience for myself. I have tried hopping around the world, doi…

You touch on a major reason where a lot of American digital nomads fail, and that is that it takes A LOT to integrate into a foreign culture. Europeans tend to have a lot more contact with diverse cultures and are more likely to understand that they will suffer from not being about the integrate fully into a foreign culture, but I think that Americans assume that they will be fine wherever they go. Asia in particular is a place where lots of Americans go and end up failing, but it can also apply to Europe and Latin America to an extent.

Re: ‘Tired’, ‘lonely’ and hated by locals: the reality for the digital nomad

#37

Post by tayo42 » Thu, Jun 01, 2023, 5:35 PM UTC

witchesindublin wrote: post #30

tayo42 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

every city has this same complaint about prices. at some point maybe we need to finally stop demonizing the bad group of the moment and look what is really causing problems

In Europe and much of Asia, there is usually a core area that is very historic and very exclusive/desirable to live in, and of course by virtue it's hard to expand a historic area. These areas have been turned into a mixture of tourist areas and digital nomad areas, usually for Americans due to the strong dollar, and out-priced all the locals to the point that these areas have no life or character. I read complaints…

i know the complaints and stories, but its never been scientific. just blaming the outside group. but these rising prices are happening all over the world. its americans going over the entire world raising prices? or airbnb is the other culprit always. seems unlikely. its always trust me im local, its the outside group. every city ive lived and looked at lviing in, this same exact complaint about rising prices is happening. even in america too.

Re: ‘Tired’, ‘lonely’ and hated by locals: the reality for the digital nomad

#38

Post by BSEdlMMldESB » Thu, Jun 01, 2023, 5:35 PM UTC

the digital nomads will eventually drive me out of this part of town, onto a shittier part, same as I will drive out some other less wealthy sucker even farther out of the nice parts onto even shittier parts.

such is life. so this is why I am glad the dollar reign is coming to an end; I may still get fucked (too late for me) but I'll be glad to watch the mechanism by which I got fucked fall and crumble

Re: ‘Tired’, ‘lonely’ and hated by locals: the reality for the digital nomad

#39

Post by tayo42 » Thu, Jun 01, 2023, 5:38 PM UTC

hef19898 wrote: post #6

wing-_-nuts wrote: post #4

'Hated by locals' is a stretch. I don't think the number of digital nomads is enough to have any meaningful impact on rents or real estate prices in most countries. This is just xenophobia in another form.

A whole of locals, from Lissabon to Bali, actually might disagree. Not to talk about the defacto visa and tax fraud some digital nomads commit. Nothing wrong with going to live and work in a certain place. But do it the proper way: get a work visa if you have to and register for taxes like everyone else. Otherwise your taxes not paid are an unfair advantage compared to locals, it is illegal and basically cheating.

i spent a month in bali after covid, and the ones i talked to were happy to have tourists back. i heard miserable stories from selling everything, going back to farming to survive, personal businesses gone, pets dying because they couldn't take care of them. You cant make generalizations about what people want and don't want. its more complex then that.

Re: ‘Tired’, ‘lonely’ and hated by locals: the reality for the digital nomad

#40

Post by Frummy » Thu, Jun 01, 2023, 5:41 PM UTC

vr46 wrote: post #8

hef19898 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A whole of locals, from Lissabon to Bali, actually might disagree. Not to talk about the defacto visa and tax fraud some digital nomads commit. Nothing wrong with going to live and work in a certain place. But do it the proper way: get a work visa if you have to and register for taxes like everyone else. Otherwise your taxes not paid are an unfair advantage compared to locals, it is illegal and basically cheating.

My friend who started having a public affair with a local woman - Indonesia - could have easily gotten himself killed, TBH I’m surprised he’s still alive.

Really, why could that have gotten him killed?