Information Avoidance and the Politics of Remembrance
A Veterans Cemetery in Irvine
Infophilia, a Positive Psychology of information | June 6, 2025 | Vol. 3, Issue 31 | Local News (Bonus edition)
✨Welcome to Infophilia, a weekly letter exploring how our love of information and connections can help us all thrive, individually and collectively.
Recently, a friend urged me to watch the Irvine City Council meeting on May 27. The meeting which lasted over 7 hours had ~129 public comments on a single resolution: for Irvine to establish a veterans-serving municipal cemetery in the Great Park. Some of the public comments show some classic examples of blunting, a type of information avoidance. Given last week’s exploration of commemoration cultures and our interest in knowledge resistance, I share this story. It’s useful for understanding how civic infophilia is different from civic participation and engagement.
Additionally, information avoidance, which was first widely studied in the context of health information, is increasingly being researched in areas like cancer genetics and similar health concerns, including mental health. This makes it an important topic in well-being and flourishing.
This essay is dedicated to veterans, especially some special ones who read Infophilia.
Cite as: Coleman, A. S. (2025, June 6). Information avoidance and the politics of remembrance: A veterans cemetery in Irvine. Infophilia, a positive psychology of information, 3 (31).
A Veterans Cemetery in Irvine
Information Avoidance and the Politics of Remembrance
In the heart of Southern California, Irvine stands as a master-planned city widely celebrated for its multicultural vibrancy and polished suburban aesthetics. No single racial or ethnic group forms an absolute majority (over 50%) and a global harmony of languages, religions, cultural celebrations, and cuisines enriches daily life. In 2012, Piggot coined the term 'suburban cosmopolitanism' to describe how it represents new forms of multiculturalism and American culture, and analyzes Irvine as a leading case of diverse, globally-connected communities.