Five functions of information sharing in serious leisure: Releasing the power of information among passionate people

Information sharing seems to be a fundamental part of our life and an essential element of our existence as social creatures. However, have you ever wondered why we feel compelled to share information with others? What motivates us to share our thoughts, whether posting on social media, blogging, or simply chatting with someone about an area of our interests? For example, what urges me to write this article and share my thoughts with you?

The answer to this question is far from simple and depends on many factors, including our situation, motivations and the type of information we share. Even the platform we choose to share information impacts our information sharing pattern. For instance, research shows tourists prefer sharing visual content above narrative or textual content through social media (Munar & Jacobsen, 2014). Nonetheless, since motivation is the fundamental force that causes humans to act, it has been broadly considered one of the main predictors of information sharing in different contexts (Kim et al., 2023).

Nevertheless, when it comes to serious leisure, the motivations behind information sharing and the purposes and patterns become even more complex. Serious leisure is the pursuit of hobbies, voluntary activities or amateurism that requires effort, dedication, commitment, specific skills or knowledge, and the possibility of becoming a career (Stebbins,1982). In this article, I reflect on my research on serious leisure with a glimpse into the literature to discuss five themes underpinning information sharing in serious leisure. By exploring these themes, we can gain a deeper understanding of the role of information sharing in the context of serious leisure.