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This viral photo of teens praying before prom is sparking outrage
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A group of teens in Oakland, California, have gone viral after a photo of them praying before dinner on prom night caused an uproar on social media. - photo by Herb Scribner
A photo of a group of teens in California praying before dinner on prom night caused an uproar on social media about what it means to be a good kid.

KTVU journalist Frank Somerville posted the photo of the teens saying grace, which he originally received from one of the teen's mothers. Somerville celebrated the group for behaving well on prom night.

So impressed with these young people on their prom date at Longhorn, he wrote on the post. They all said Grace before eating and were all well behaved.

Somerville said Noelle Smith, mother of one of the kids, sent a note with the photo, too.

Good morning," Smith wrote to Somerville, according to his post. "Thank you for everything that you do. I want to share a picture of my daughter and her friends from prom night. Now with the stories today about teenagers and Tide pods and condoms gathering headlines this picture speaks for itself.

Somerville added, "It sure does. Its REALLY nice to see."

The photo received more than 2,000 "likes," 215 "shares" and 400 "comments" since it was first posted on Tuesday.

But, as Fox News reported, the picture kick-started a debate among the Facebook commenters over what it means to be a good kid.

Commenters specifically took umbrage with Somervilles post, which, they said, implied that you had to pray or say grace to be considered a good kid.

One commenter said, Saying grace over your food says nothing of your moral compass, integrity or character Behaving well at a restaurant while in your late teens, and being considerate (of) people, should not be Facebook praiseworthy.

Another wrote, I see well-behaved people doing terrible things, misbehaved people who just take care of someone in need. Being a (C)hristian doesnt mean they are well behaved.

Somerville commented on the post to respond to the critics. He said he felt surprised that the photo received such heavy backlash.

I'm honestly surprised by some of these comments, he wrote. I wasn't trying to imply that you have to be a Christian to be a good person. What I see from these kids is that they are respectful, that they are humbled and that they are appreciative (of) what they have. I could care less whether they are religious, but by saying grace it shows me that they have those qualities and those are the qualities, regardless of whether you believe in god, that I admire.

According to Yahoo! News, the mother who took the photo also interjected to reveal her thoughts on the picture.

They conducted themselves as adults. Not because they prayed but because they sat up straight in their chair, they didnt disrupt others, and (they) showed and used good manners which is the whole point and also that we as parents have done our job producing productive members of society!
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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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
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.