When I broke up with my girlfriend, I de-activated from Facebook. Honestly, the experience was incredible. I felt like I had my life back. I ended up calling my friends and talking to them instead of writing stupid wall posts. I felt so self-aware of my free time that I actually started exercising more. I didn't have to fear that I would get in trouble at work for not working, nor did I have to delete inappropriate tags/pictures/comments. AND because I wasn't stalking anyone, I actually developed a healthy relationship with my ex.
I came back to Facebook though...eventually. My friends cried foul. I gave in. But as my social groups dissociate and morph, I'm feeling the need to leave again. Some things in life are just better off forgetting. You keep in touch with the friends you want to see and those that make an actual effort back. Poking doesn't cut it.
I had a similar experience in college when I cut off AIM and TV for 3 months. I felt like I had 30 hour days-it was great. Like you said, it really helps you distill your group of friends. You lose contact with the occasional friends and build deeper friendships with your core group. I still don't instant message much but TV crept back in pretty quickly.
I got tired of reprogramming my remote when the batteries died and haven't had a working one for about 2 months. I HIGHLY recommend tossing your remote, it really helps you evaluate your TV habits. You can still watch something if you really want to, but you have to actually plan for it and know what you want to see (activates executive brain function) as a result I am much more likely to simply forgo TV and do something constructive.
I did a similar thing. I haven't IM'd in... well currently I've been in Canada for almost a year, and I stopped like 95% of my IM's over a year before I first came to Canada, so I'm thinking like 3 years with near complete IM silence.
I've also cut out TV before, I found it quite liberating as it allowed me to focus my time more. However, the TV has crept back in, but it'll probably go the way of my IM when my wife finally gets a laptop so we don't have to share one... it's quite hard to sit doing something when she tries to steal it off my lap every 30 seconds.
I have recently joint up to Facebook, but I already feel I'm neglecting it. I sign on like every 2-3 days because quite honestly I don't have any friends. I ditched 80% of my friends after I graduated, because I realised they were all immature losers, I then lost the other 10% when I started spending more time out of the country than in it and the last 10% are here in Canada.
One thing I find quite strange is that I'm perfectly happy having no friends. I do have a few friends, but they're also my wifes so she does 90% of the non-hanging-out talking, where as I usually do an unequal share of the talking when everyones together and I'm not sure how as I usually only talk when asked a question.
I came back to Facebook though...eventually. My friends cried foul. I gave in. But as my social groups dissociate and morph, I'm feeling the need to leave again. Some things in life are just better off forgetting. You keep in touch with the friends you want to see and those that make an actual effort back. Poking doesn't cut it.
Thats how life should be lived. I want it back.