Infophilia and the Dopamine Connection
Navigating the Age of Information
September 15, 2023. Vol. 1, Issue 1.
Cite as: Coleman, Anita S. (2023, September 15). Infophilia and the Dopamine Connection: Navigating the age of information. Infophilia, a positive psychology of information, 1 (1).
Welcome new readers. I am happy and excited to finally (re)launch Infophilia!
The word infophilia is not widely used, well-established, or formally defined in academic contexts. That will change as investigations into digital information continue. It’s my privilege to know some great infophiles, lovers of information. Three people, my dad, husband, and doctoral advisor come readily to mind as they have the greatest impact on me. They love studying. They pursue knowledge. Curious, they read widely, across many disciplines and forms. They make deep connections with the information they gain and with the people with whom they share the information. These gentle infophiles remind me that infophilia has relatives in terms like bibliophilia (love of books), bibliophiles (lovers of books), philomaths (lovers of learning), and philanthropy (love of humanity).
My first weekly Infophilia is about the human joy of discovering information, how the dopamine connection is triggered, fear of missing out (FOMO), and how to steer clear of addiction and harm.
Unlike tangible goods and services, information is actually increased, not depleted, by its use. Colin Cherry