Americans recently sprung ahead–moving their clocks forward an hour as dictated by Daylight Savings Time. But suddenly waking up an hour earlier than your body feels is right leaves many wondering, why do we even do Daylight Savings Time? And can we just stop? It’s a question that some may debate about. Some people like it; some people don’t. So that’s the question–should we continue it?
DST is the practice of advancing clocks during part of the year to make better use of natural daylight, resulting in more daylight in the evening and less in the morning. This year, in the United States it started on March 9 and will end on November 2, 2025.
DST was created by an entomologist (someone who studies insects) named George Vernon Hudson from New Zealand. Based on a survey he conducted, DST was first introduced into the US during World War I in order to save energy. The idea was that by giving people additional daylight in the evening, people could use less electricity for lighting.
There have been multiple arguments of why people want to stop changing the clocks. People say it causes health risks, economic struggles, and less sleep. Some say it interferes with people’s equilibrium and routine. Others site the fact that not all countries participate in DST as a reason for it not being necessary. Hawaii and most of Arizona already don’t participate in DST.
Other people enjoy DST because it extends daylight hours into the evening, allowing for more outdoor activities and potentially boosting economic activity and mood.
On December 13th, 2024, Trump posted, “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.” However, he now seems to have no plans to eliminate DST. When recently asked about his stance on DST, Trump stated that because the issue is so split, he sees little need to make a change. He said, “it’s a 50/50 issue. And if something is a 50/50 issue, it’s hard to get excited about it. I assume people would like to have more light later, but some people want to have more light earlier because they don’t want to take their kids to school in the dark … It’s something I can do … but a lot of people like it one way, a lot of people like it the other way. It’s very even. And usually I find where that’s the case, what else do we have to do?”
Many may still believe that it can still be helpful to our society while others don’t think so brightly about it. Some people like this section of the year because you get more time during the day. Others could see it as a time that many will lose sleep and become sleep deprived. For those raising small children, clock changes can be particularly hard, as kids rely on their Circadian rhythm and habit, not clocks. Mrs. Strietman, a mother of three says, “Stop changing my schedule; it’s difficult with children.”
To get public opinion on the matter, we surveyed 61 students and staff asking them, “Do you think the U.S should still continue Daylight Savings Time?” 35 people said they want to keep it which is roughly 57%; 26 people said they want to get rid of it which is around 43%.
In addition to the survey, we conducted interviews with teachers to understand their views. Ms. Carlson says that DST doesn’t serve much of a purpose anymore. “The US has transitioned away from being an agricultural society.” She believes that this shift makes the need for more evening daylight less necessary.
Mrs. Strietman agrees with Ms. Carlson additionally notes that the change from an agricultural society has made the practice of DST less relevant. She suggests that in today’s modern society, the need for extra daylight in the evening no longer holds the same importance.
In conclusion the debate over whether to continue Daylight Savings Time is far from settled. While some appreciate the extra daylight in the evenings, other argue that the disruption to sleep schedules and family routines outweighs the benefits.
