Afterword: Manifestations of Joy of Information in Everyday Information Behavior Research

Abstract:This afterword reflects on the manifestations of joy of information from the perspective of everyday information behavior research. The point of departure is distinction between pleasurable and profound—the main constituents of the construct of "higher things in life" proposed by Kari and Hartel in 2007. The study also makes use of the related distinction of hedonic versus eudaimonic happiness. Illustrative examples of studies on information seeking and sharing in the context of leisure activities are used to show how joy of information as a constituent of the pursuance of hedonic and eudaimonic happiness has been approached in these investigations. It is suggested that the research frontier on higher things in life could be advanced further by examining the relationships between entertainment and information and the features of information experience because the aspects pleasurable and profound are central to these concepts.