Information Avoidance in the mirror of literature: A systematic review

Purpose and background: One usually think of information as means to an end.  Despite the excessive worth of information - contrary to manchr('39')s inherent need for awareness - some avoid information, favoring ignorance over knowledge. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the concept of information evasion, consequences and factors influencing it. Methodology: The study was a systematic review of literature associated with information avoidance. Initially, terms such as "Information rejection," "Information escape,"  "Information avoidance,"   "Nonuse of information" were searched in the WoS and Scopus citation databases, as well as the Persian databases of Noormags, Sid, Elmnet, and the comprehensive humanities portal. MAXQDA software was used to study and analyze the literature. Findings: Information avoidance is a set of selective behaviors and actions intended to stop, limit, and/or delay the search for, the encounter with, the processing of, and/or the use of unpleasant information. Information avoidance is multidimensional information. Various factors affect information avoidance some of which are personal, and some are environmental. Information avoidance has many types, including active and passive, comprehensive and selective, deliberate and defensive. Conclusion: Some people avoid information by predicting the impact of information on their present or future lives. Information avoidance is still not well understood because a good deal of research has focused on information avoidance from a specific perspective. Although research streams cross at various points in terms of information avoidance. Given the harmful consequences of information avoidance, research policy should pay special attention to this issue so that, with the help of researchers in other fields, a solution can be found.