Infornography

Infornography is quite simply merging the words "information" and "pornography". It is described as the addiction to the obtaining or sharing of information. I scrolled down through this forum and figured this was the best place to put this.

To date, I am not sure if it has been recognized by any official psychological groups. I am not even sure if anyone really believes it to be real, and anyone who does couldn't possibly think of anything wrong with it. Regardless, I consider myself to have infornography.

It comes and goes in me. It is usually triggered by seeing a topic of interest that can be studied, something I had never heard of before. As a writer, I want to learn and understand things. Research is an important aspect of it. I will then spend hours upon hours of my time doing absolutely nothing but researching and acquiring information. I would try to store it in notes, and I would have dreams about that which I am learning. It builds up to a point where I write a story about the subject, where more research is required.

I once spent 13 hours doing nothing but reading encyclopedias, Internet forums, and watching videos about cars and racing, forgoing eating anything or sleep; I only used the bathroom and drank a glass of lemonade in that time period. I would wake up as early as I could the next morning, and went straight to the computer, repeating the cycle for days on end. Just a few months prior, my dad was trying to show me how an engine generally worked and where you could find the different fluids and how to check them. I didn't understand any of it of course. I was looking at a hunk of metal and wires.

A few months later, I can tell him far more details about cars than he could've ever cared to know. I opened up the hood and knew what everything was, how it was fitted together, and how well it would run. I began to be able to discern between the sounds and noises and tell what the problem was.

Eventually I stopped obtaining information and lost a lot of what I knew. It was like cramming information for a test and then forgetting about it later because, well, information will leak out of your brain if you don't keep it up.


I once actually conducted a few IQ tests and prior to becoming addicted to information my IQ was 115-123. Within a year, that had increased to over 132-135, and then to 140-148 a few months later. I had never been addicted to drugs, I don't drink alcohol, and I don't smoke, and I don't know anyone else who does so I consider this to be a lonely type of addiction. My counselor doesn't really think much of it, just shrugs it off. At one point in time during my first "session" if you want to call it that, I even began to feel sexually aroused by searching for information. In fact, I probably would've become a serious psychopath had I not started my research into psychology. I recognized all the signs of "going crazy" in a sense, and I began to socialize for the first time to complete and total strangers. Being homeschooled for the past 3 years, I knew I was at the peak of social life (most homeschoolers are more mature and better at social skills than their public school peers). So I convinced myself to go about proving it, and I did. I got a job with a 3-month turnover rate and held it for over a year.


Anyway, it's fixing to trigger again. I haven't been doing any heavy research in quite some time, but I just can't stand not knowing something or knowing that I have forgotten information. Someone mentioned a math problem. I took a peek into microbiology (again). I started dabbling into car racing. And my cousin wants me to put together all of my historical thoughts and stories I knew with references so he could mend it into a professional-style article or book format. It's just one thing after another and it's a battle to not get sucked back into it.



As far as I know, I'm 100% alone. In fact, I sometimes wonder if I just had fantasies about the addiction and am the first person in the world with it.

All rightey. Warning: May trigger. Set an alarm now and when it goes off, get up and drink a glass of water. Make a deal with yourself to ONLY read this post and the links in it.



You are definitely not alone. I've done the same, to a lesser extent. And, yes, when I find out something new, I sometimes also experience arousal. It's exciting to find something new. There's also creative arousal. I'd post the link but it's in a "mature" context and I don't want to digress from answering your question.

There are researchers who devote a lot of time to information addiction. At the risk of giving you an infornography trigger, here's a guy who is interested in the same thing:
http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2009/07/ ... mation.php
http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2009/08/information.php

Once you've finished reading these articles and the quotes contained in them, remind yourself to stop. Remember; all you're looking for is PERTINENT information. Keep mindful of how your body reacts: increased heart-rate, etc.

Dammit, I just triggered! I've been searching for the past hour. It's OK; I retain responsibility for my actions.

Actually, I'm very glad that you posted this, because it gave me a much-needed slap upside the head. Too often I start searching for answers for posters and end up losing myself in all the info. And of course, there's the excitement of finding something applicable and useful.


Anyway, I think you're doing very well. You're aware of your triggers and you're working to keep them out of your life. I think that, because of your ability to find information and devote yourself to absorbing it, you will be able to find resources for yourself. If you wish to share them in this thread, that would be fine--but that decision is up to YOU. It's NOT a homework assignment, and it's NOT an invitation for you to go out and collect resources on this topic. If it helps you to keep track of how many sites you view, you may post them here. The copy+paste to another document method works for me MUCH better than browser bookmarks.

Two important things about looking for self-help infomation:

1) Look only for information that is pertinent.
2) Don't cram as if for a test, like you said you do. This isn't a one-time deal. This issue is personal and it's affecting your life, so you're going to have to make life-changing habits.

Here's a 30-day approach:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/0 ... o-success/

And here is an article that applies to online forum addiction:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/articles/ef ... -usage.htm


I think that the 2 biggest reasons for my own infornography addiction are
- Academic overachievement was encouraged, if not demanded of me while I was growing up.
- Information (fact or opinion) provides an escape from whatever emotions I would otherwise have to deal with.



I apologize for the triggering nature of this post. As a mod, I'm a bit embarrassed right now. I've cleaned up my post as best I could. You're definitely not the only person who suffers from this addiction. And you are not alone in this.

I'm going to go have something to eat.

Good luck! I hope that, by now, you realize that this is a very real thing.

--Frayed

You know, I have to say: you have a knack for showing up when you're needed. You've serendipitously helped 2 people by coming to this forum at just the right time. Me and JewelChick.

<3

--Frayed

I need to figure out how to get alerts up and going as automatic, I thought nobody was reading anything. I'll make PsychForums a new favorite.

Anyway, @ Frayed, posting the warning was a good thing. I've managed to fight off the worst of it by just telling myself that it isn't necessary for me to start and that sleep and food is more important. Not taking that first step really does work. I wish some of my other weaknesses were this "easy" to ward off. I think part of what helped me has been looking at silly things like watching classical Disney movies or other activities and not attaching myself to feeling needy over wanting to overload myself with information.

I think that the 2 biggest reasons for my own infornography addiction are
- Academic overachievement was encouraged, if not demanded of me while I was growing up.
- Information (fact or opinion) provides an escape from whatever emotions I would otherwise have to deal with.

Yes, I know what you mean. My middle school education was conducted in a private school where the most important aspect was that the student motivated and taught himself and learned to how to learn. When I started homeschooling, it fueled my ambition as an over-achiever and to keep up with the academic statistics to homeschoolers (who do so well in school).

I have a harder time trying to identify with the second point, but I can honestly say that it does make sense. I am a writer after all, and writing stories and drowning in music "related" to the scenes provides an excellent escape to another world or place that isn't in this kitchen.


But there is a reality here, and sometimes it needs to be checked. But since I'm not in school and everyone else I know is, with low funds and being literally broke, I'm stuck. I personally like be isolated, but it isn't good for me or my creativity.

Glad I could help a bit, Mark.

Keep working on it & keep me updated. If you post in this thread, or in another thread to which I have replied before, I will get e-mail notification of your post.

Take care,

--Frayed