June 26, 2026 Social Media And Technology

Why 62% of Full-Time Travelers are Swapping Netflix for "Digital Arbitrage" in 2026



People who travel full-time are leaning further away from passive entertainment activities. Instead, they are engaging more regularly with activities that not only entertain, but also have the possibility for some sort of return.

Modern full-time travelers are seeking more than just to explore the world; they want entertainment that is interactive and meaningful, and provides them with some sort of return. While sometimes that might involve relaxing and passively watching a show on a streaming service like Netflix, for many full-time travelers and digital nomads, that sort of passive entertainment is just not enough. Instead of an entertainment choice that is simply about passing the time and relaxing, they want something that will entertain as well as allow them to earn money, learn, forge social connections or grow as a person.

From engaging in entrepreneurial activities like digital arbitrage to learning new skills or even using comparison platforms to find the latest sweepstakes sites and engage in social and interactive entertainment, full-time travelers want more out of their downtime than to sit passively and consume content. Let's take a closer look at why passive entertainment has fallen out of vogue with travelers, and at some of the replacements rising to prominence.


Passive Content Consumption Just Doesn't Cut It

The way that people consume content was changed forever when streaming services entered the market. Movies and TV shows are now available on demand at any time, and the amount of content that is being produced is at an all-time high. But that sort of passive entertainment consumption isn't for everyone.

A high number of full-time travelers have turned away from this type of passive content consumption and are instead choosing to engage in activities that they find more rewarding. Maybe it shouldn't be surprising that full-time travelers are already making a conscious choice to avoid passivity in their lives and to venture forth and experience as many new things as they can; why shouldn't they also do the same thing with their entertainment choices?

Choosing entertainment options that are more than just consuming content can be as simple as reading a book or as complicated as engaging in digital arbitrage. The key is that it is an intentional choice that travelers are making.


What Is Digital Arbitrage?

Digital arbitrage is an entrepreneurial pursuit where you attempt to exploit an online market gap of some kind. Things like building a website to fill a niche, creating and managing an online marketplace of some kind, creating digital content of your own, or in some way finding a gap between product and consumer that you can fill and benefit from monetarily.

For many travelers, digital arbitrage is a great choice for both something entertaining to do and as a source of income, because you can do it from anywhere that you have access to the internet. If you are looking to pursue an existence without any strings tying you down, this sort of activity reflects that idea of freedom.


Learning and Developing New Skills

One of the most popular choices that many people enjoy engaging with, instead of passive entertainment consumption, is learning new skills. If you have access to the internet, you have access to a wide variety of resources that can help you learn all sorts of different skills. Anything from new languages to business management to coding.

Choosing to learn as a form of entertainment fits perfectly into the view that many digital nomads and full-time travelers have of life, which is as a constant journey of self-improvement and learning. If new skills that you acquire can be used to benefit yourself financially or in any other way, so much the better.


Finding Interactive Online Entertainment

Something that many travelers love seeking out is interactive entertainment. While it might not always provide as much tangible benefit as engaging with learning or entrepreneurial activities like digital arbitrage, interactive entertainment still provides more juice for the squeeze than passively consuming content.

A great example of interactive online entertainment is playing games at sweepstakes sites. These sites can be accessed from a wide range of places and do give players the opportunity to win prizes or rewards, giving travelers that all-important potential for return on their entertainment choices.


Entertainment That is Also Productive is Appealing

For people who have dedicated their lives to full-time traveling, entertainment options that are also productive are very appealing. It helps them feel less like a waste of time, and can absolve some of the guilt of doing something for enjoyment, as they provide something of use that can go towards improving or facilitating the rest of their life.

Don't get us wrong, these activities should still be enjoyable; they shouldn't feel all the way like work, but they can still give more than simply enjoyment. It doesn't matter if that extra thing is simply more confidence from having learned a new skill, or a more tangible benefit like extra money; the important thing is that there is some return for the time you spend.