Time Is Not the Problem

Whenever I say I did not have time to meditate today, that is not true. Rather, it is that I did not use my time wisely. If I pay careful attention, and I add up all the minutes I spend each day on Twitter, Facebook, the Huffington Post, and late night TV, I come close to one hour at least, which is a good amount of time that could have been spent on mindfulness practice.

Apparently, I am not as bad as most . . . A survey earlier this year shows that the average time spent online is 6 hours, out of which 2 are spent on social media and microblogging. This is insane. We are spending almost one full day out of our week idling away on the phone or the computer. Not only is it valuable time that could be spent otherwise, starting with mindfulness practice, but the activity itself of constant checking for the latest updates does not give the mind any chance to rest in between necessary daily activities.

I do not have yet a solution, for I am as addicted as anyone else. I just want to put it out there, in an effort to start becoming more aware, and reclaim precious mind. 

The Dangers of Wisdom 2.0

This year, I chose to not attend the Wisdom 2.0 conference, but I watched from afar, and glanced at a few of the live streams. Wisdom 2.0 always inspires me to reflect on technology and its impact on mindfulness, and vice versa. While a heavy user of tech, I am also very skeptical, and somewhat concerned about what it's doing to me, and the billions of other social media enthusiasts. And here's why . . . 

It is so easy checking my Facebook or Twitter. Feeling bored, restless, annoyed? Rather than sitting with the feeling, I find myself reaching out for the black thingy, typing in the secret code, and going straight for the four familiar icons, one after the other, the white envelope, the green bubble, the little bird that never stops tweeting, and the big 'f'. Past the transient relief, the initial feeling is still there, and the mind has grown even more agitated. That stuff is bad. Same addictive qualities as smoking, or drinking, or eating junk, with one major difference. The addiction is more subtle, and hardly recognized by the outside world. We live in a hyper connected world that demands workers to be in touch 24/7, and encourages friends to text rather that talk live.

Many times before, including on this blog, I have sworn to placing limits on my habit, and it has not worked. The reason: I have overestimated my willpower. Fast reward 2500 years, to the Buddha's teachings back then, about the need to give up "the taking of liquors and intoxicants, of that which intoxicates, causing carelessness", and also "singing and dancing, the playing of musical instruments and the watching of entertainments, which are stumbling blocks to that which is wholesome". It is easy seeing how those instructions directly apply to our tech obsession. Social media is addictive, it also dulls our ability to be mindful. And if we are really intent on the path, we would do well to abandon it altogether.

It's been interesting watching contemporary dharma teachers and monastics. Some have refused to touch Facebook and Twitter. Others have eagerly jumped in with both feet, at the risk of embarrassing themselves with sometimes unskillful public displays. Yet others have let their students manage their social media presence so they don't have to be tempted. The bottom line is we are all struggling to find our way through this revolution. As with everything, the key is to fumble with awareness, and to not underestimate the risks, nor our vulnerability to this new form of intoxication and entertainment. The role of monasteries becomes even more important, as places of ultimate refuge where the mind can be left alone, without the threat of uninterrupted chatter from our various 'networks'.

What is your relationship with social media? Are you hooked? Or are you able to use those tools without unhealthy clinging? If so, please share. 

Recognizing and Overcoming the Challenges of Mindfulness Practice

Every day, I have been reading a few pages of  The Wings of Awakening, Thanissaro Bikkhu's compiling and commentary of the Buddha's most important teachings, as declared by the Buddha himself. And I am struck by the clarity of the instructions at our disposal. From there to the question, how come not more practice from more people, only one small step that I would like to cross here. 

We know what to do. We know the reward. So, what's the problem?

Starting with myself, I need to reflect on all the moments when I am not mindful, all the missed opportunities to steady the mind and gain more wisdom, all the small forks in the road when I choose the mindless route. Why spend time surfing the Internet, when I could be practicing? Why get impatient while waiting for something, somewhere, when I could use the time as a mindful pause? Why go shopping for more clothes that I don't really need, when I could choose to sit instead and learn from the underline anxiety? Why all those moments, spent acting against my own self-interest?

I sat down this morning and reflected on all the reasons why I have not been more mindful, and why potentially others are not either. And came down with this list:

Let me start first by blaming the environment :). Silicon Valley, out of all places is not exactly conducive to the practice of mindfulness. In the world of Facebook and Google, it is easy to loose sight of the real thing. 

Second is laziness. It takes great mental energy to stay mindful. This is why right effort is part of the teachings. To not give into the temptation to escape a difficult moment, whether because of physical or mental pain, requires willpower. 

Third is the compulsion of mindless computing. The web has brought me so many wonderful gifts, including ready access to the teachings and to many Dharma friends. It has also hooked my mind into unhealthy habits that are hard to give up. 

Fourth is delusion, or the mind's tendency to fool itself into thinking erroneous thoughts. Leading me to drown into hindrances, for a bit too long before I can see them for what they really are. 

This is why I need the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha to keep me on task, 24/7. The Buddha, whose gentle wisdom welcomes me each time I open my computer:

The Dharma, to be found at Access to Insight, the awesome repository of teachings, accessible through just one click. The Sangha in its many forms: online here and also on Twitter and Facebook, but more importantly, in the flesh at Insight Meditation Center, my local center. Making the time each week to reconnect, and remember to practice as I join my friends there for a sitting, followed by a talk from our teacher, Gil Fronsdal.

Which are your greatest challenges to mindfulness practice? 

The Google Plus Wow Factor

I marvel at Google. I just do. Here's why.

Sitting, an insight arises as it did a few days ago. And right there, in the mind, vague remembrance of fragments of a sutta read long ago. Ancient wisdom with the power to stretch what I just felt and began to understand. 

Before Google, to retrieve the whole teaching, I would have had to go through indexes, tables of content, a whole book of discourses even, or I would have had to ask my teacher. 

Now, I find the sutta I am looking for, in just a few seconds. It goes like this. Simply go to Access to Insight, type enough keywords, click on 'Suttas only', and voila! One or several possibilities come up, and it does not take long before the familiar words surface within their original context. I usually copy the most relevant excerpt, and paste it into Blogger post editor. Blogging then becomes an extension of my meditation, a way of remembering the whole process of sitting, experiencing, and further reflecting based on relevant teachings. 

Awesome!

How else have you find technology helpful for your practice? 

What I Learned From Social Media Sabbatical

Nothing like going on a social media sabbatical, to put one in touch with the magnitude of one's attachment to the online world. Indeed, I learned much during this past week away with intentionally no ready access to my usual hangout places. 

First, I got to relive what it's like to have long islands of time, unbroken by online chatter, and the peace and greater presence that comes from shedding that extra layer of activity. I found out that I could live very well, better in fact without being 'hyperconnected'. I came back, determined to no longer break up my day with such interruptions. I still want to maintain all my online friendships, only assign them less time and contain them within one, two at the most small windows each day. 

Second, I realized the importance of reflecting on the underline impulse that moves me to be online so much of the time. At the root, lies the hindrance of anxiety. Some folks smoke a cigarette, others drink a glass of wine . . . I relieve my unease with tweets and updates. In the process, the opportunity for mindful exploration gets lost. A better way lies in using the urge to connect as an object of meditation. 

As 'Was Once', one of the readers of this blog commented, "On your death bed, you won't say I wish I had been online more. You will search desperately for those quiet, immensely fulfilling breaks into the nature of being. I loved every minute away from this machine on my ten day, so much so I will go again." 'Was Once' is right. On my death bed, I will also look back and take an inventory of the few loving connections I made in real life. That I know, from having sat at the bedside of the dying, and heard them each time reflect on their missed opportunities to connect with their loved ones, and also the joy from having succeeding at loving at least one person.

A Retreat From Social Media

Packing for my trip to France tomorrow, I had to decide what kind of electronics to bring? iPhone, MacBookPro, iPad, none at all? The real question had to do with how involved did I want to be with social media during this time away, and how to create the conditions that would best facilitate my intention. The iPad made the final cut. Not Blogger friendly enough that I will be tempted to blog, and yet a good platform to check on emails if necessary. I am also putting my vow out here on this blog, and also on Twitter and Facebook, that I will be taking a ten-day sabbatical from social media. No tweet, no update, no answering comments on blogs, no writing posts, no surfing the Web, no Linking in. Posts appearing on this blog will have been written prior to me leaving and be posted, courtesy of Blogger automatic scheduler. 

When is the last time you have taken a break from social media? Did you notice a difference in your ability to practice mindfulness? And if so, how?

How Technology Can Really Help Me Stay Mindful

Almost every week now, a new mindfulness app comes out, with the goal to use tech to get me to practice more. I love mindfulness, I love tech. And I also think tech people have not yet figured out how to best serve people like myself. As with any new technology, the first thing is to figure out the psychology of the user. What is it that I need as a practitioner?

I will tell you first what I don't need. I do not need another fancy timer, the one in my iPhone is good enough. I do not need another website to go to, to find other fellows to sit with. I've got Twitter and #wannasit or #OMCru with the advantage of flexibility and simplicity. I do not need a counter to keep track of how many minutes I spend meditating. This is not a competition. I do not need tech to tell me when, where, how much, and with whom to practice.

Where tech can be helpful, though, is in mitigating the potential hazards from tech use itself. What I need are built in mechanisms for all the online worlds I visit, that remind me when I have gotten lost.  I want a google app that 'knows' and can warn me when I have been surfing mindlessly for too long. I want a Facebook app that lets me know when I have been spending a bit too much time looking at my friends' pages, or visited the site too many times in one day.  I want a Twitter app that keeps my visits to a predetermined (by me) number every day . . . Of course, there is a glitch. My intention to use tech more wisely goes in the face of advertisers' goals to keep me online longer, and outside of my habitual realms. 

What are your thoughts on mindfulness and tech?

Connected, or Split Self?

Rushing through the day, I found myself eating bowl of cereal while checking emails. And got hit with the realization of the risk to one's well-being, of the mindless use of technology. Not until I paused, and sensed what else was happening, did I notice the split in consciousness that had just taken place. Sure, I had connected to the big world out there, all the way to Stanford, and MIT research labs. I had clicked on interesting folks' profiles, signed up for an upcoming event. Mind was excited . . . And yet, I had related to the world from such a narrow band of consciousness. Only thinking mind involved. 

How about the tasting of dried cherries, of crunchy almonds, of granular cereals, and sweet milk? How about the drumming of the spoon against the bowl? How about the loud sound of chewing? How about the gratitude for such good food taken in? How about the experience of sitting up straight, and bringing the cold metal to one's lips? How about the major event of swallowing? How about the breath? How about . . . ? So many sensations happening either sequentially or in unison, and adding up to a rich, multifaceted  experience. I had missed most of it. 

When multitasking on the computer, the web almost always win. There is nothing wrong with being online. It is all a matter of bringing all of oneself to the experience. Remembering, when I am working online, I am working online, and not doing anything else. I am aware of the experience of fingers clicking on the keyboard, and the cliquetis noise. I am aware of how I sit, and the sensation of the sole of my feet on the floor. I am aware of mind engaged in cyberspace. I am aware of body being breathed. 

Being connected online, and with oneself.

Is Social Volunteering the New Hip Thing?

This week, I had the pleasure to meet Heidi, a young event planner interested in volunteering for our community. Heidi is coming with a group, her group. She has convinced 30 of her single friends to join her in giving some of their time to the elderly. A few hours, one Saturday a month, working side by side, and then getting together for dinner afterwards. 

Heidi is part of a new movement in volunteering. They are young, hip professionals who want to do good and have fun at the same time. They are the same folks with an active social media presence. 

I can smell a new startup in the making, a social volunteering network that would combining social media, old-fashioned volunteering, and youthful spirit. 

My Last Encounter With Klout and Al . . .

Reading today's New York Times article on Twitter and Klout, I wasn't sure whether to laugh, or cry . . . Unbeknownst to me, and millions of other users of Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, we are being scored in increasingly sophisticated ways on our influencing power. What started as a fresh social movement is now at risk of being perverted by the lure of money and the trap of power hungry egos. 

As an experiment, I signed up for Klout and was told:

I have an overall score of 47 and I am effectively using social media to influence my network across a variety of topics. However, my Klout score has fallen in the past month and I will need to keep engaging others, and continue creating engaging content to see my Klout score rise again . . . 

I have a network influence of 54 and I am engaged by influencers.

I have an amplification probability of 23 and I am more likely to have my message amplified than the average person.

I have a true reach of 1K and I have worked very hard to successfully build a large, highly engaged network.

I am an 'explorer', meaning 'You actively engage in the social web, constantly trying out new ways to interact and network. You're exploring the ecosystem and making it work for you. Your level of activity and engagement shows that you "get it", we predict you' ll be moving up.'

I influence 1130 users across the social web. 

I am influential about meditation, buddhism, law of attraction (what the heck?), alzheimer's, spirituality, yoga, psychology, huffington post, journalism, blogging.

Just reading the stuff, I could feel greed and fear taking hold. Wanting a higher score. Worried that it might go down if I don't 'engage' more and in the 'right' way. More suffering . . . 

And I decided this would be my last encounter with Klout and al. More important than chasing after influence is the joy of engaging in authentic, meaningful, mindful, rich, kind exchanges with other like-minded people. 

Some Facebook Wisdom

In an interesting case of synchronicity, all the messages from my wise Facebook friends this morning seem to concur. There is only this moment, and nothing else, and we are to live it with as much gratitude, interest, wisdom, and joy as possible . . .

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    it's all dhamma.

    
    

    
    
    

    One of my teachers says: ‘What’s the difference between someone who practices (mindfulness) and someone who doesn’t? A practitioner regards every experience with interest, as a chance to learn. A non-practitioner reacts with greed, hatred and confusion.’ Every experience is a chance to learn. We’re not here to try and have better and better experience. Every moment is an opening to awareness. And every moment of awareness is a potential gateway to freedom in that moment. And there’s only this moment.

    – Carol Wilson, “Putting Your Trust in Awareness”, a talk given 1 February 2010, who also happens to be here in Burma with me at the moment!
    

    
    

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      You and Luke Storms like this.
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    Lori Wong via Awakening Joy

    
    

    BG 192: Making Joy Our Default Setting | Buddhist Geeks

    www.buddhistgeeks.com
    

    Insight meditation teacher James Baraz joins us to explore the many facets of joy, happiness, and well-being. We begin by finding out how joy became an important part of James’ practice, since in his early years with Buddhism he was, in his own words, “dead serious about practice.” It turns out th

    
    

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    Dalai Lama

    Learning is the first step in making positive changes within yourself. Other factors are conviction, determination, action and effort. Learning and education help develop conviction about the need to change and increase your commitment. Conviction then develops into determination. Next, strong determination leads to action: a sustained effort to implement the changes. This final factor of effort is critical.

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    Alicia McLucas

    ‎"Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance." ~ John Petit-Senn

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Where Are the Women?

In preparation for my upcoming two-week retreat with Ruth Denison, and fact that I will not be able to post on this blog during that time, I went to YouTube, looking for videos of inspiring women teachers to feature in my absence. The pickings were slim, to say the least, and I had a hard time coming up with enough videos to cover the whole fifteen days. The Tibetans seem to be best at getting their voices out, with Pema Chodron as leader of the pack, followed by Thupten Chodron and Tenzin Palmo. The Theravada and Zen sisters less so . . . 

This is in contrast to their male counterparts who appear to be more bold about letting themselves be seen and heard in the Buddhist online world. 

Yet another instance of detrimental feminine shyness! Contemporary Buddhist women teachers need to leverage the power of online and video technologies to let their voices be heard beyond just the limited audiences of their local sanghas.

A Perfectly Closed Feedback Loop

Mindfulness-based Social Media, to live up to its true social nature, involves not one, but at least one other equally mindful practitioner, with the participants publicly responding to each other's messages, until the thread runs its natural course.  I had such an exchange today with Maia Duerr. 

Me: publishing blog post on 'The Mindfulness Revolution at Work', including grateful mention for Maia's research in the field.

Me: tweeting Maia, to let her know about post.

Maia: tweeting back to thank me.

Maia: tagging me in facebooking update mentioning my post, and adding sweet reference to my blog

Me: responding to Maia's update with appreciation

While this may feel like mutual admiration society, the net outcome on my side was the  happiness from a sweet feedback loop brought to perfect closure. If only all social media interactions were this kind, and complete . . . 

Coining 'Mindfulness-Based Social Media'

In the spirit of Wisdom 2.0, and for lack of a better alternative, I would like to coin the new term 'Mindfulness-Based Social Media', or MBSM, to refer to  the delivery of mindfulness related content, through online social interactions that adhere to mindfulness-based principles of communication and practice. Mindful communication means not misrepresenting the truth, not engaging in communication that divides people, not hurting other people, refraining from idle chatter, communicating at the right time, and on a more positive note, communicating in ways that are trustworthy, harmonious, comforting, and worth taking to heart. Mindful practice refers to the wise use of social media, to further promote one's own practice, as well as others' practice of mindfulness, and being especially careful to not fall into danger of addiction. A working definition, that is open to further refinements, and wordsmithing . . .

MBSM is about content, delivery, and form. The content includes all online material to do with the pursuit and exploration of mindfulness, including the Buddhist teachings on, and practice of mindfulness, also the applications of neuroscience to mindfulness, MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction), MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy), MBP (Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy), Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention, etc . . . The delivery takes place through the various existing social media channels, including blogs, Twitter, wikis, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Flickr, Yahoo Groups, Ning and other social networks, forums, bulletin boards, etc . . . The form elaborates on the Buddhist precept of right speech, and also the mindful use of social media for personal benefit.

I would love to hear your take on this first attempt. Can you think of another term? A better definition?

Meanwhile, let me share all the links on Mind Deep blog, with some relevance to the topic:

10 Tips For Buddhists on Twitter
Twangha, For Community of Buddhists on Twitter
Spiritual Friendships on Twitter
Taking Mindfulness Vow, on Twitter
Spiritual Quotes on Twitter, Anyone?
The Plain Truth About Wisdom 2.0 and Addiction
Traps and Wonders of Wisdom 2.0
7 Tips for Buddhist Bloggers

The Plain Truth About Wisdom 2.0 and Addiction

Without a computer or iPhone for a week, I got in touch with the compulsive and detrimental nature of my connection with technology. Of course, like any addict, I have rationalized my behavior. All the time spent blogging, tweeting about mindfulness, it's all  in the interest of Wisdom 2.0, and the greater cause of spreading the Dharma. A nice cover, that did not hold very long, under the scrutiny of intense self-examination. With no room to hide during the retreat, the plain truth emerged, of my craving for constant emotional gratification, in the form of 24/7 validation. I thought again about Tami Simon's comment during the Wisdom 2.0 conference and her own inquiry along the same line. 

Who else is following me? Any messages in my DM box? or @MindDeep tweets? Any new comments on my blog? Any new emails? Any phone messages? Any text messages? Any comments on my Facebook wall? So many times throughout the days, I have checked, hoping for some candy like sweetness. Each online connection, feeding my desire to be loved, and appreciated, and acknowledged. Each one an easy way out anxiety and restlessness, and whatever other emotions may be lurking underneath. Each one delaying the hard work of meeting with myself.

There are prices to pay for such indulgence. First, is the chronic suffering from the ephemerality of these small pleasures, and the long string of disappointments when the candies are not there. Second, is the loss from broken mindfulness. The mind is not given a chance to settle enough past surface level of anxiety. So many opportunities lost throughout the day, of reaping the fruit from moment to moment mindfulness!

What is the solution? Not to give up technology altogether, although I do not exclude that possibility at some point. No, for now,  I would like to choose the middle way. Still blogging, tweeting, emailing, texting, phoning, facebooking, but in a much more deliberate fashion, and without the driven-ness. Using technology and social media in particular, in the service of mindfulness, not against it. The way to achieve that, I figure, is to condense the time spent online in one or two small windows during the day. And, more importantly, to be mindful of the urges to give in, in between, and to use those moments as yet another opportunity to go deeper into the workings of the mind.

Here, right now, I make the vow to curtail my use of the Internet, in the spirit of the three precepts of right mindfulness, right concentration, and right wisdom. 

Notes from Wisdom 2.0 Conference - Part 2

Day 2 of Wisdom 2.0 Conference. I very much enjoyed Meng Tan's infectious happiness. A refreshing presence in the midst of otherwise mostly serious and left brain crowd. @chademeng is Head of Personal Growth at Google, and goes by the title of Jolly Good Fellow. 

Worth pondering were the following three questions, that Meng shared with us: 

What is your life story?

What do you want to do when you grow up?

How do you want to save the world? and how can I help you save the world?

Used by Meng as a screening device for potential Google hires, these questions can also lead towards a process of self-inquiry, resulting in more questions, rather than straight answers.

Still fresh from  Philippe Goldin's expose yesterday on narrative/conceptual view of self, versus  experiential, embodied self perspective, I found myself resisting the first question. Being present to the now has become a lot more relevant than revisiting the past. Sure there are patterns to be seen, lessons to be drawn, but they all belong to a fixed sense of self, that no longer fits the way I experience the world.

Similarly, Meng's second question implies a narrative framework. It also suggests not knowing yet what one wants. In my case, operating from a place of mindfulness and self-compassion, has made it very clear that I am to use all of myself, body, mind, and heart, to serve. I only need to be present to the thoughts and emotions that come up in various situations to know. Last weekend, during Zen Hospice volunteer training, love flowed through my whole being. Today, during the conference, I felt my heart tighten instead, as the temptation to join the ego-driven world of startups raised its ugly head again.

Regarding the third question, I do not see how one can save the world. More befitting, would be how do I want to serve? I know the path ahead will have threads of mindfulness, and service, and intelligence of heart and mind, throughout. Right now, it includes working as a hospice volunteer, and having committed mindfulness practice. With a few sprinkles of blogging, and tweeting, and ninging. Still needing to be worked out, is the shape of my professional life. There are many possible manifestations, and I am giving myself the space for skillful discernment. 

This is when I need to stop, and leave train of thoughts, and just be with breath.  :)

Notes from Wisdom 2.0 Conference - Part 1

From first day at Wisdom 2.0 Conference, some favorite quotes:

"Social networking is like being in a karmic accelerator" - Joan Halifax, Upaya Zen Center

"Technology is like a lubricant for human nature - both good and bad." - Bradley Horowitz, VP of Products, Google

"When I looked into why I reach out to my Blackberry, for no particular reasons, and I looked inside myself, I found my true motivations were: 1) seeking stimulation, 2) looking for confirmation of who I am, 3) feeling anxious, 4) being in control. Technology enables hyperthinking. At some point, it is important to deal with empty space, and disconnect completely." - Tami Simon, Owner, Sounds True

"There are only 24 hours in a day. (on using time wisely)" - Gopi Kallayil, Group Marketing Manager, Google

"Zappos four rules of Twittering: Inspire, Connect, Educate, Entertain" - Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos

Traps and Wonders of Wisdom 2.0

There is a lot of debate currently on the value and relevance of social media for mindfulness related endeavors. A few days ago, I asked on IMC online community, whether anybody else besides me, was planning to attend the Wisdom 2.0 conference. And got these two dissonant responses:

First response:

I personally believe Internet social media and mindfulness don't go well together. There is an element of addiction involved here. One can give excuses like "limiting", "doing it mindfully", "doing it with purpose", "keeping a check" etc. The very fact that one has to look for such excuses makes me suspicious. It is like someone telling drinking alcohol in moderation is ok. Just like one does not need alcohol, one does not need these virtual reality medias. There are tons of libraries, books, real world sanghas and even google to get all the information anyone truly seeking would need. 

Buddhist evangelism should be by example. The Internet social media is turning it into a joke. There are also people who are pretending to be highly ordained monks - not sure what sickness causes them to do that. Respected monks should distance themselves from this. They can publish articles which are very helpful but not get involved in the virtual reality world. 

Second response:

Isn't this true with almost anything though? Every experience has pluses and minuses and buddhist social media seems to have more extreme peaks and troughs. I had a few friends who reacted much as you did after the article in Tricycle sometime ago describing the online difficulties of a few practitioners. In the end though it seems that respected monks should participate if they so wish and can help bring some good to a larger audience. As for those of us in the audience, a re-read of the Kalama Sutta is most helpful.

Personally, I am more in the second 'camp'. And will reiterate response I made to Maia Duerr, in her recent post on same topic, Mindfulness and Social Media: Not an Oxymoron!:

Like you, I don’t see any problem with the two words ’social media’ and ‘mindfulness’ coexisting. There is such a thing as mindfully tweeting, and blogging, and facebooking . . . And blogs, tweets, and Facebook updates can be great media to broadcast mindfulness related experiences. Of course like anything, social media has the potential of being abused and becoming addictive. That does not mean it should be abandoned altogether.

Where do you stand on this debate?