In Digital Nomads and Settler Desires: Racial Fantasies of Silicon Valley Imperialism by Erin Mcelroy we look at how the tech industry of silicon valley is influencing modern day colonialism. Particularly focusing on tech workers aka “Digital Nomads” and how their lifestyle leads to displacement and exploitation of others. Particularly in Silicon valley where their economic and technological power is extending to global cities leading to more gentrification movements. The digital nomads see themselves as free and independent but they rely on economic inequalities and are a major driving factor in gentrification.They also say that they can work from anywhere but this only applies to a small minority of the population with the majority still having to travel to work. All of this gentrification from the digital nomads is mainly being taken out on the low income Black, Women, LatinX, and elderly with them catering to rich tech workers. Mcelroy challenges the idea that technology is creating a fair economy and says that silicon valley is ignoring the negative effects it has on the community around the area and the people that lose their livelehood. Mcelroy then advocates for a better understanding of how technology and global inequalities are related and disagrees with the statement of technology being beneficial for everyone. I agree with most of the claims which Mcelroy is providing as if the owners were paying the tenants money to get them off of the property then it is fine, but because they are using legal loopholes, evictions, and various gentrification methods then the landlords are at fault. The part where I would disagree with Mcelroy is his absolute blame on tech for everything. As we read in previous articles like “A Lighter Shade of Brown?” by Alfredo Huante we saw their were many causes for gentrification and you cannot pin it on one single thing. Although tech isn’t the sole cause it definitely quickens growing inequalities and makes a bad situation worse. One question which could be raised when talking about this topic is how does digital nomadism compare to historical colonialism that we saw and are their any similarities.
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