Daylight Savings Time—Exactly What Are We Saving?
Maybe you’re different from me. Maybe you like Daylight Savings Time. I dislike it intensely. The only part I do like is when it ends and I get that extra hour of sleep back that I lost. My father calls standard time “God’s time,” and I understand why.
Some facts you might not know. One hundred and thirty-one countries do not observe Daylight Savings Time, such as Canada (with the exception of Montreal). Of the countries who do observe it, there is no official day that all countries use; the start date ranges from March 8th to April 24th. Most countries who observe it, start on a Sunday with the exception of several middle eastern countries which start on Friday. Not all of the United States participates. Let’s all move to Arizona and Hawaii! It was originally adopted by some European countries in 1916. Ben Franklin suggested the idea in 1784. Some people claim that driving accidents have been reduced. I suspect whatever gains were initially made in that department have been diminished completely by the vast number of people who drive while talking on cell phones. During WWII, between February 9, 1942 and September 30, 1945, daylight savings time was constant and called “war time.” Some countries call it “summer time.” I prefer to call it “Pain in my Patoot Time.”
Does Daylight Savings Time improve our physical health?
No. Some studies even indicate that we’re more likely to have a heart attack during the transition phase as our internal clocks try to cope. Children are sleepy in school during the transition phase as well which means they won’t learn as much. Note that the time switches occur during the school year—not during breaks. Adults are sleepy at work which cuts productivity.
Does Daylight Savings Time improve our mental health?
No. A study by the Japanese indicated that suicide rates actually increased during transition. I would like to add an increase in crankiness of the general public to the argument, which I have observed in myself and others (Yes, I realize my observation isn’t scientific). Some will argue that the increased leisure time we gain attributes to better mental health. However, if the sun is still shining when most people get home, they won’t see it as an opportunity to do something leisurely like sit outside and read a book. No, they’ll see that they need to mow the lawn, weed the yard, sweep the driveway, clean the gutters that pine seedlings are sprouting in. That leads to an increase in stress. Many people even end up working longer hours because the sun is still up.
Does Daylight Savings Time save our planet?
I highly doubt it. Bigger inroads can be made by simply switching to fluorescent bulbs. And the argument that having an extra daylight hour means kids will have more time to play outside, thereby saving energy, are under the misconception that children still play outside. Maybe they don’t know that the majority of American children, those who aren’t super busy with extra curricular activities, prefer firing up the television, computer, and the game station to riding bicycles—all of which require electricity, which then uses more power and saves us nothing.
Is Daylight Savings Time worth the discombobulation to the population? Is it worth the aggravation of changing our VCR’s, TV’s, microwaves, ovens, clocks, car clocks, digital thermostats twice a year? I think not. For the record, I also dislike having to change the time on all those items after the electricity cuts out during thunder storms.
How about you? Are you on the Daylight Savings Time bandwagon? If so, why? Or do you think DST was devised in an era much different from the realities of twenty-first century life and no longer makes sense?
Some facts you might not know. One hundred and thirty-one countries do not observe Daylight Savings Time, such as Canada (with the exception of Montreal). Of the countries who do observe it, there is no official day that all countries use; the start date ranges from March 8th to April 24th. Most countries who observe it, start on a Sunday with the exception of several middle eastern countries which start on Friday. Not all of the United States participates. Let’s all move to Arizona and Hawaii! It was originally adopted by some European countries in 1916. Ben Franklin suggested the idea in 1784. Some people claim that driving accidents have been reduced. I suspect whatever gains were initially made in that department have been diminished completely by the vast number of people who drive while talking on cell phones. During WWII, between February 9, 1942 and September 30, 1945, daylight savings time was constant and called “war time.” Some countries call it “summer time.” I prefer to call it “Pain in my Patoot Time.”
Does Daylight Savings Time improve our physical health?
No. Some studies even indicate that we’re more likely to have a heart attack during the transition phase as our internal clocks try to cope. Children are sleepy in school during the transition phase as well which means they won’t learn as much. Note that the time switches occur during the school year—not during breaks. Adults are sleepy at work which cuts productivity.
Does Daylight Savings Time improve our mental health?
No. A study by the Japanese indicated that suicide rates actually increased during transition. I would like to add an increase in crankiness of the general public to the argument, which I have observed in myself and others (Yes, I realize my observation isn’t scientific). Some will argue that the increased leisure time we gain attributes to better mental health. However, if the sun is still shining when most people get home, they won’t see it as an opportunity to do something leisurely like sit outside and read a book. No, they’ll see that they need to mow the lawn, weed the yard, sweep the driveway, clean the gutters that pine seedlings are sprouting in. That leads to an increase in stress. Many people even end up working longer hours because the sun is still up.
Does Daylight Savings Time save our planet?
I highly doubt it. Bigger inroads can be made by simply switching to fluorescent bulbs. And the argument that having an extra daylight hour means kids will have more time to play outside, thereby saving energy, are under the misconception that children still play outside. Maybe they don’t know that the majority of American children, those who aren’t super busy with extra curricular activities, prefer firing up the television, computer, and the game station to riding bicycles—all of which require electricity, which then uses more power and saves us nothing.
Is Daylight Savings Time worth the discombobulation to the population? Is it worth the aggravation of changing our VCR’s, TV’s, microwaves, ovens, clocks, car clocks, digital thermostats twice a year? I think not. For the record, I also dislike having to change the time on all those items after the electricity cuts out during thunder storms.
How about you? Are you on the Daylight Savings Time bandwagon? If so, why? Or do you think DST was devised in an era much different from the realities of twenty-first century life and no longer makes sense?
Labels: daylight savings time
posted by Mo H @ 9:01 AM
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