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š§āš» Remote work & substance abuse
PLUS what a "forever labor shortage" means for workers, Twitter's new CEO on remote work, virtual coworking, and Thailand's pro-democracy win

Hey Insider, hope you guys doing well so far this week! Personally, Iām getting ready to hit the road for the next month with trips to Prague, Budapest, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Chicago, so if youāre going to be in of those cities over the next month, let me know!
Todayās email is a 5min 35sec read:
š What a āforever labor shortageā means for workers
š£ Twitterās new CEO on remote work
ā PLUS subscriber virtual coworking & Thailandās new pro-democracy party wins an important victory
But first, is there a connection between remote work and a rise in substance abuse? According to Bloomberg yes, but looking into the actual research, I disagreeā¦
š¬ DEEP DIVE
Remote Work & Daytime Drug & Alcohol Abuse

A Bloomberg article that made the rounds earlier this week suggests that remote work is the cause of an increase in daytime drinking & drug abuse (link is to a free version on Hindustan Times)
The article and cited research make the case that workers that arenāt required to come into the office can easily drink and use drugs during working hours, something that the article says at least used to be reserved for after hours.
Hereās the thingā¦
The articleās title (āRemote work comes with daytime drug and drinking habitsā) makes it sounds like remote work is the cause of the increase in this behavior.
However, the research the article is citing doesnāt actually say thatā¦
What the research does show is that there was an increase in substance abuse during the COVID pandemic (which is nothing we didnāt already know) and that working remotely made it easier for people to hide this from their employers.
This is still an important problem to tackle, but is very different from saying that remote work in some way causes people to develop a substance abuse problem!
The research also suggests that the solution according to the data is for companies to provide mental health support for their workersā¦ not that forcing employees back to the office will magically cure them of their drug abuse
After all, people tend to develop substance abuse due to an unresolved problem, and speaking to a professional is the best way to solve that.
Depression and substance abuse among all professionals is an important subject, and something we need to address, but I think we can confidently classify this particular article as pro-office propaganda.
What do you think about this article?Pick the answer that aligns best with your views and let us know your thoughts in the comments! |

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Break free and join the ultimate adult summer camp for digital nomads, entrepreneurs, and adventure-seekers! Whether youāre just starting out or have been on this path for years, youāll advance toward the lifestyle you want to lead (while having a blast at summer camp).
Most conferences charge high ticket prices and make you pay for your hotel, food, and entertainment.
At Camp Indie your accommodations, food, workshops, and entertainment are all included!
All you need to do is show up, relax, and have a blast enjoying an unforgettable weekend of growth, learning, and connection.
Join us June 16-19, 2023 in Connecticutās Berkshire Mountains, less than 2 hours from New York City!

šļø INSIDER EXCLUSIVE
Remote Insider Virtual Coworking
Virtual coworking is a fancy term to describe the idea of getting on a Zoom call with friends, coworkers, or strangers and working together.
This provides you structure and accountability to focus on the task at hand and is proven to boost your productivity.
If this sounds interesting weāre hosting a Remote Insider Virtual Coworking session this Friday, May 19th, 10am-11am EST and itās absolutely free for subscribers!

š„ FAV TIKTOK
Who knew Stanley was a workplace futuristā¦
@theofficequote.s Stanley is a time traveler #theofficequotes
Truly a man ahead of his time!

šØ WORD ON THE WEB
š America needs to get ready for the Forever Labor Shortage
Since the pandemic, American companies have struggled to fill open roles & this is not due to a lazy generation, since unemployment is at a record low
The truth is that as Baby Boomers retire, younger generations which we considerably smaller, canāt fill their shoes
For the moment this gives workers a lot of power which can result in higher pay & access to desired flexibility
But in the long run businesses will hire globaly (thanks to remote work) and in some industries may be able to replace some workers with robots.
š£ Twitter hires Linda Yaccarino as new CEO, what can we expect from her on remote work?
The internet is split on how it feels about Twitterās new CEO with both the conservatives & liberals unhappy for different reasons, but what does this mean for Twitterās remote work policy?
While Yaccarino hasnāt made any public comments about her views on remote work, she is the Chairman of the World Economic Forumās Future of Work Taskforce which did have a focus on remote work work this year
Despite that, Elon Musk has been very aggressive about his stance on remote work, and with Yaccarinoās immense ad background, itās unlikely that sheās coming to Twitter to address remote work.
š¹š Thailand, a favorite location for digital nomads, is on the precipice of a historic political moment
On Monday, Thailandās two main pro-democracy parties agreed to join together after out-performing the ruling military-backed party
The front runner to emerge as the new Prime Minister is Pita Limjaroenrat, a 42-year old Harvard alum and former tech exec.
Noteably, Pitaās party campaigned to reform strict laws that ban criticism of the Thai Monarchy (currenty punishable by up to 15 years in prison
Although promising this is not sealed deal yet since even with a coalition Pita is still shy of the 66 parlimentary seats needed to become a prime minister.

š UPCOMING EVENTS:
FEATURED EVENT āØ
May 28-June 4: Porto Santo Nomad Fest [š Porto Santo, Portugal] - A festival celebrating the digital nomad community, on a beautiful island off the coast of Madeira. Limited attendance.
May 24-28: Vivel [š Multiple Locations, Turkey] - networking meets music at this one-of-a-kind conference for location-independent professionals
May 28th-June 3: Nomad Cruise 11 [š Mediterranean Sea] - The original conference at sea is back! Join 250 digital nomads on board a cruise ship in the Med to discuss remote work, business, and personal growth
June 16-19: Camp Indie [š Kent, Connecticut] - adult summer camp & conference for digital nomads & those living an unconventional life
June 21-25: Remotion Festival [šBurgas, Bulgaria] - A festival for remote workers, freelancers, & digital nomads highlighting the Burgas area as a hub for smart living
June 25-July 2: Bansko Nomad Fest [š Bansko, Bulgaria] - for digital nomads, freelancers, and founders in the mountains of Bulgaria

š¾ TECH
Sony ZV-E10 Mirrorless Camera

This may seen like an odd remote worker recomendation but hear me outā¦
Sonyās ZV line is specifically designed for vloggers, which means that the ZV-E10 is very compact and easy to use. But what sets it apart is that you can also use it a high quality webcam for Zoom calls or streaming.
This makes it a great all around camera that you can use for all your photo and video needs, from simple photos for your videos, to looking professional on your team meetings, and filming higher quality TikToks

š WFA JOBS:
Looking for a job thatās not just remote, but that you can work from anywhere in the world? Weāve done the heavy lifting for you. Check out these awesome WFA positions š
āļø WordPress Developer @ Awesome Motive
āļø Junior Local SEO Manager @ Bookedout Dentist (š©šŖ focused)
āļø Customer Services Representative @ Attic Pros

š POLLS
How Do You Feel About Work-Life Integration?

On Monday we wrote about the difference between work-life integration, and work-life balance, hereās how some of you feel about it:
š āāļø Z.M: āIād rather have clear boundaries between my work and my personal life.ā
ā¤ļø B.M: āAs a mom, I don't think you can un-integrate work. I'm always multitasking. Home life never gets turned off. I love remote work because I think it's a great equalizer. There are more opportunities for moms because we don't have to stick our kids in daycare (which is so expensive that it often makes having a career not worth it).ā
Favorite Thing Abour Remote Insider?
Which section of Remote Insider is your favorite?Pick the RI section that you like the most below and let us know why in the comments! |

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See you on Wednesday, hope you have a great start to the week! Cheers š»
Todayās email was written by Mitko Karshovski