Productive paradise? Postcolonialism, the digital nomad phenomenon, and the portrayal of Southeast Asia on YouTube

Abstract

Southeast Asia has become a popular digital nomad destination. The rise of the digital nomad phenomenon can be seen as a shift in the landscape of labor in which technology has enabled location-independent remote work. Digital nomads actively engage in promoting this lifestyle through self-branding in social media platforms such as YouTube. As such, their online content provides a site in which to examine their online identity to understand how this shapes their portrayal of Southeast Asia. Using thematic analysis, this paper identifies interconnected themes in both the online self-presentation of digital nomads and their portrayal of Southeast Asia. By using a postcolonial approach, this paper explores what inequalities and imbalances rooted in colonial legacies are present in this contemporary media representation of Southeast Asia.