by Cuahutemoc Solorzano

What’s the point of daylight saving time (DST)? Will it still be here years from now, and when was it implemented?

At the start of daylight saving time, the clocks are sprung forward an hour. Then, at the end of DST, the clocks are moved back one hour – to their original position. 

The foundation of daylight saving time was created by George Hudson, a New Zealand entomologist. He argued to the Wellington Philosophical Society that more time in a day would allow individuals more time for activities. In Hudson’s case, he wanted to have more time to collect his insects, according to the BBC. 

Hudson was initially rejected, and it wouldn’t be until World War I that daylight saving time would be established in the US. Daylight saving time has a complicated past. It was implemented and repealed various times, and certain aspects of it have changed. 

Because of daylight saving time’s complicated past, many individuals are wondering why it is still implemented. However, there is debate whether or not daylight saving time should still be implemented within the US.

According to a survey conducted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine conducted in 2020, 63% of US citizens prefer daylight saving time to be abolished.

Initially, daylight saving time was implemented across the US in order to conserve energy and increase efficiency during war time, according to Newsweek. 

However, daylight saving time practices across the US have only saved 0.5% of energy usage, according to a 2008 report from the US Department of Energy.

A study in 2005 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says there was a seven-percent decrease in crime with days with more natural light. 

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the US should abolish daylight saving time due to it disrupting sleep habits. A disruption in sleep will cause an individual to become prone to certain health risks. 

Many individuals don’t enjoy losing an hour of sleep, especially since most lives revolve around a schedule that may become disrupted due to daylight saving time. 

The Uniform Time Act states that while the US is required to use daylight saving time, states are given the option to not recognize it. Yet, the Uniform Time Act doesn’t allow states that want to implement daylight saving time year-long, as it only allows states to use standard time year-round.

In the past six years, 20 states have passed legislation to have daylight saving time year-round. The state of Arizona (save for the Navajo reservation within it) and Hawaii do not recognize daylight saving time, according to Forbes. 

Daylight saving time began yesterday on March 9th, moving from 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. It will end on November 2nd, thrusted back an hour from 2:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., according to the Time and Date website.