Should Daylight Savings Be Abolished?

It’s that time of year again; several countries worldwide “spring forward” by advancing their clocks by one hour. The practice originated during World War I in the United States with the Standard Time Act of 1918, hoping to reduce fuel costs by adding an extra hour of sunlight to the day. Over time, daylight savings time(DST) has evolved into an annual custom that lasts around 7 months, usually lasting from March to November. It has also diffused into over 70 counties, affecting time zones of around one billion people across the globe. While some claim that DST has been proven to reduce energy consumption by making more use of daylight hours, others believe that DST disrupts our circadian rhythms and is an outdated practice. This begs the question: Should Daylight Savings Time be abolished?

Many argue that DST is effective for a number of reasons. Other than reducing energy consumption, increased hours of daylight can provide people with more time for outdoor activities, including sports practice after school. Hailey Sethi, a member of the Sewanhaka High School spring track team, said “Personally, I don’t mind daylight savings. It gives me more time to practice running on the track outside safely because there is more light out.” Additionally, some suggest that DST has been standardized and integrated into numerous countries’ cultures for decades, so abolishing the yearly tradition would cause worldwide disorientation with time.

On the other hand, some insist that daylight savings is not effective in satisfying the goals it was initially intended for. An important claim that people, including medical professionals, have made is that DST disrupts our circadian rhythms, or our internal clock that is designed to regulate 24-hour period cycles of alertness and sleepiness. Adjusting the hours of daylight may cause disruptions in a person’s sleep routine, and in turn, lead to poor physical and mental wellbeing. Chronically, scientists have claimed that this can result in several health concerns such as stroke, heart attacks, and cancer, and overall poorer wellbeing can even result in more traffic accidents. Moreover, several say that DST is not effective in reducing energy consumption. In 2020, a report released by the Congressional Research Service did not find substantial evidence that daylight savings reduced energy consumption by much– if at all. Aneeq Ali, a sophomore, said, “Every year when daylight savings comes around, I need a few weeks to adjust to the new clock times. This gives me trouble sleeping and I end up feeling tired during the day.”

As we enter yet another period of daylight savings time, the debate surrounding this long-lasting observance continues. The most important thing is for policymakers to consider the diverse perspectives of everyone on this particular topic, and make changes as necessary– as the clock ticks.