Extra-Informationalism: The Triangle of disorder in the Knowledge Era

Editor-in-Chief Lecture

Author

Dr. Mohammad Hassanzadeh Professor, Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Faculty of Management and Economics, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

10.22091/stim.2026.4592

Abstract

Digital transformations, the rapid expansion of communication networks, increasing human reliance on information, and the complexity of decision-making environments have placed contemporary humans under unprecedented information pressure. The theory of "Extra-informationalism" seeks to explain this phenomenon—a state wherein information needs are not only escalating but becoming increasingly complex, ambiguous, and infinite. This article analyzes the core components of Extra-informationalism across three dimensions: informological, sociological, and neuropsychological. It argues that crises such as warfare, natural disasters, pandemics, and rapid social shifts trap individuals in a cycle of ceaseless information-seeking. Furthermore, the relationship between Extra-informationalism and conditions such as ADHD, OCD, and Internet addiction is examined. The study posits that the fundamental challenge of the digital age is no longer the scarcity of information, but the human inability to achieve cognitive adequacy and disengage from information-seeking behaviors. It is imperative to develop strategies for the prevention and mitigation of this disorder.

Keywords

References

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Sciences and Techniques of Information Management
Volume 12, Issue 1
March 2026
Pages 139-150

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