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"Since we’ve been sipping the Facebook friend juice for so long, it’s legitimately scary to quit." Nate Eliason
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Leaving is never easy. All those good times, the memories you made together ... you'd planned a future FFS! It was supposed to last for ever. 

You'll be filled with doubts, of course. And fears about the things you'll miss. But when it's not working, it's not working. 

So, if you're thinking of quitting Facebook, welcome to the club.

I've been free for about six months. And, while I've missed a few birthdays, the things I've gained!

Because leaving FB is actually proven to improve relationships with family and friends. Hello IRL! It increases the warm fuzzies, and reduces a sense of political polarization (dear God! Who can bear yet another FB battle with their Trump-voting rellies?). So – yay! – depression and anxiety go down, the happiness quotient goes up. Win win.

A study earlier this year found that a whopping 15 million US users had left since 2017. Sure, there's still a growing fanbase among the older demographic, but the rest of us are departing with nary a backward glance. And, if I needed further proof that the social network is basically that bad ex-lover you should never, ever go back to, it was this blog by Nate Eliason.

"Imagine, for a moment, that you had a friend ... who knows everywhere you go, what you like, what you fear, what you want, who you hang out with, how happy you are at any given moment.

"They could be an amazing boon to your life. Or they could be a nightmare. It all depends on what they do with the information, and how well you can trust them with it.

"Now imagine the friend can use their information about you to make money, say by manipulating your decisions to benefit them. And imagine they’re the kind of morally bankrupt person who would take advantage of their friend this way."

So, yeah, that's one more toxic relationship I don't need in my life. What about you? 
BEST LIFE CALENDAR

TONIGHT
See opera for free – in HD

The Metropolitan Opera’s HD Festival continues, as Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West is shown on a giant screen under the stars. For free. Get your glad rags on, my friends, this is going to be fancy. Find out more.

TOMORROW
Get on the river
It’s going to be a beeeoootiful day, so get thee on the river and see our gorgeous city from a new perspective. You’ll get a 30-minute kayak or SUP trial for half price if you mention W42ST (don’t forget to bring your ID. Find out more.

Pushy, or what?
The annual Great North River Tug Boat Festival is happening from 10am. Spectators can board a boat and watch the action up close, including a nose-to-nose pushing contest. And it's all gratis. No dollars. Free. Find out more.

See some art
The Governors Island Art Fair has been renamed Portal: GI, but it still has all the same (call me a philistine) bonkers art in the fabulously decrepit houses on Colonel’s Row. It’s on every weekend until the end of September, and it’s totally free (all you pay is the ferry fare). Find out more.

Have some one-wheeled fun
So you’re on Governors Island for the art fair? Stop off at the Unicycle Fest and learn how to ride on just one wheel. Pro tip: it’s really hard (and, yes, that really is a Monkee on a unicycle). Find out more.

Watch some world-class tennis
Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Djokovic – the biggest players in the world are competing at Flushing Meadow. Find out more.

Like dance?
You can see work by emerging choreographers, directors, and dancers at this free event on Pier 63. Find out more.

Get down and boogie (quietly)
No ticket required. Just come along, put on the headphones, and dance. The silent disco happens at Pier i from 6pm-9pm and is freeeeeeee (first come first served with them headphones though). Find out more.

SUNDAY
Get your art on
The Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit is back, all day, with fine art, jewelry, and ceramics on show. And, here’s the confusing part: it’s NOT in Washington Square Park. Go figure.

Killing it with K-Pop
Indie band The Rose – whose rise to fame is largely down to their appearance on the show Super Band – are in New York by popular demand. Find out more.

MONDAY
Labor Day
Hit the beach, hit the hills, get out there and make the most of the last (official) day of summer *weep.

Go Zero to Hero – in Central Park
The Public Theater’s Public Works program brings one of my all-time Disney favorites to life at the Delacorte. It includes James Monroe Iglehart in the cast, it’s free-ee (and that’s the gospel truth). Find out more.

TUESDAY
Catch Broadway in Times Square (and drink for free)
Alice Ripley (Next to Normal) and Max Sangerman perform for your listening pleasure, for free, on the Broadway Plaza. And, if you’re one of the first 30 people to RSVP, they’ll throw in a free drink too! Get in! Find out more.

WEDNESDAY
Get improvising
Watch some of the city’s top comedy talents from the Upright Citizens Brigade do their thing in Greeley Square. If you think you’re up to it, you can even join in. This is a free-for-all improv jam, my friends. Find out more.

Learn how to go zero waste
It can be done! And now’s your chance to find out how. Tips, tricks, hacks – plus wine and snacks. Find out more.

See Salman
Salman Rushdie marks the publication of his latest book Quichotte, a reworking of the Don Quixote tale, with a conversation with Man Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James, at the Cooper Union. Find out more.

Hear supernatural jazz
Sydney James Harcourt (hello – that's him from Hamilton and The Lion King) in This House Is Haunted, an evening of Broadway tunes and smooth, spooky sounds. Find out more.

THURSDAY
Rediscover fashion
This exhibition of photography in the heart of Times Square marks the opening of fashion week, and includes runway images of designers and supermodels from the 1980s and 1990s. Find out more.

Get down and funky
Aaron Whitby gets groove heavy in this free concert at the David Rubenstein Atrium in Lincoln Center. Find out more.

Eat, drink, and be merry
The final in Charlie Marshall’s summer wine dinner series pairs very special dishes with wines from the Damiani cellars. Yum! Find out more.

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