Lurking and occasionally posting anecdata, as usual. The experiment you quoted above is no longer in effect, and LW mostly fits into my definition of "technical, professional and scientific news".
I don't think I'm ready to sustain a full abstinence for a period longer than two months, nor do I think it's a good idea in general. I'm working on finding the right balance, and I give myself a permission to suck in this regard.
But one thing is clear: I'm done with consuming politics and peoplenews for the rest of my life.
As I understand it, Lent is a holiday where we celebrate the scientific method by changing exactly one variable in our lives for 40 days. This seems like a convenient Schelling point for rationalists to adopt, so:
What variable are you going to change for the next 40 days?
(I am really annoyed I didn't think of this yesterday.)