By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Should men still pay for first dates?
30aeb48303
A recent survey by NerdWallet shows that 77 percent of people in a relationship think that men should pay for the first date. But many argue that this tradition is outdated. - photo by istockphoto.com/Minerva+Studio
Becky Blackburn
Deseret News National
Updated: Oct 4, 2014, 3:00 PM
Published: Sep 29, 2014, 9:13 PM

A recent survey by NerdWallet shows that 77 percent of people in a relationship think that men should pay for the first date.

But many argue that this tradition is outdated. Consider the title of this recent Atlantic piece, "It's 2014: Why Are Men Still Paying for First Dates?" or an article in the Huffington Post: "Men Still Paying for First Dates … and Women Are Partly Responsible." As Suzannah Ramsdale of Marie Claire argues, "Feminism. It's always anyone has been able to talk about for most of 2014. So why, then, do most people believe men should pick up the cheque on the first date?"

In fact, one study implies that women might be hurting themselves by letting men pay for the dates, sacrificing future gender equality for the short-term benefit of saving a little money at the movies.

However, I disagree. Yes, we live in a world where women have big ambitions, but when a man pays for the date, he is saying that he iswilling to provide for his future wife and children. His date might be smoking him in their chemistry class and snagging all of the summer intern interviews, but that's not the point. The point is that he's willing to provide.

He knows that his wife will have to bear risks that he won't have to bear. Only she will have to deal with the exhaustion, the pain and the anxiety of delivering a child. No matter how much he is willing to do for her, he can't take on her morning sickness for even one day.

And while men have come a long way in helping raise the children,studies show that working women feel more torn between their families and their jobs than their husbands do. Only 37 percent of working women want to work full-time while 79 percent of working men say they prefer to work full-time.

The reality is that people who have not yet had children don't really know yet how they are going to want to divide the breadwinning and child-rearing responsibilities. They haven't had to deal with sleepless nights and a crying baby or grapple with postpartum depression. They don't know what it's like to have twins or what it's like to raise a child with special needs. While having children can be a great joy, there are also challenges, and it may provide a woman great peace of mind if she knows that the man she is dating is willing to shoulder the greater financial responsibility in the marriage.

I'm not surprised that 77 percent of the people polled still think that guys should pay for the first date. While a woman may not want to marry a man who insists she stay home, she might also not want to marry a man who insists that she work.

What do you think? Do you think men should pay for the first date?

Contact Becky atbeckyblackburnwrites@gmail.com.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
93cbd7a5475cccd1cee701424125d3abaa9b4beaa58d3663208f656cbbbd7661
A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.