The Information Consumer Consumed by Information

Infertility is a physically and mentally taxing medical condition that impacts one in every eight couples. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews to explore how individuals with infertility seek, use, and share information. As self-described knowledgeable experts, study participants identified seeking the information to counteract difficult emotional responses and obtain a sense of control. Thematic analysis of the findings revealed that individuals with infertility often feel consumed by the need to search for information constantly. This work seeks to expand discussions about how individuals engage with information and how high levels of emotional and physical investment in a topic may lead to the experience of feeling consumed by information.