Daylight Saving Time – Top 3 Pros and Cons
Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates
In the United States, Daylight Saving Time (DST) began on Sunday, Mar. 12, 2023 at 2am with clocks “springing forward” one hour, and will end on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, when clocks will “fall back” to Standard Time. In 2024, DST will begin on Mar. 10 and end on Nov. 3.
DST was implemented in the United States nationally on Mar. 31, 1918 as a wartime effort to save an hour’s worth of fuel (gas or oil) each day to light lamps and coal to heat homes. It was repealed nationwide in 1919, and then maintained by some individual localities (such as New York City) in what Time Magazine called “a chaos of clocks” until 1966 when the Uniform Time Act made DST consistent nationwide. [8]
DST has been “permanently” implemented nationwide twice, once during World War II and once in the 1970s. As the war ended, only 17% wanted to keep “war time” (DST) year round. In the winter of 1973-1974, DST was used to conserve fuel during the energy crisis. 53% opposed keeping DST, probably because in some parts of the country (primarily western edges of time zones) wouldn’t see the sun rise until after 9am. [39] [40]
64 countries used Daylight Saving Time in 2022, while 9 countries used DST in some jurisdictions and not others (like the United States), and 175 countries did not use DST in 2021. In the United States, 48 states participate in Daylight Saving Time. Arizona, Hawaii, some Amish communities, and the American territories (American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands) do not observe DST. [36] [37] [38] [43]
55% of Americans said they are not disrupted by the time change, 28% report a minor disruption, and 13% said the change is a major disruption. A 2020 poll found 40% of Americans would prefer to stay in Standard Time all year and 31% would prefer to stay in Daylight Saving Time all year, eliminating the time change. 28% of Americans would keep the time change twice a year. However, a 2022 Monmouth University poll found 61% of Americans would stop changing time twice a year, of whom 44% would keep DST and 13% would stay on standard time all year. 35% would keep the time changes. [20] [34] [44]
On Mar. 15, 2022, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill that would make DST permanent as of Nov. 20, 2023 if approved by the House and signed by President Biden. The delay is meant to give airlines and other transportation providers time to adjust to the change as they set schedules months ahead of time. As of Feb. 6, 2023, no action has been taken in the U.S. House of Representatives to advance the bill. [41] [42]
Should the United States Keep Daylight Saving Time?
Pro 1
Daylight Saving Time's (DST) longer daylight hours promote safety.
Longer daylight hours make driving safer, lowers car accident rates, and lowers the risk of pedestrians being hit by a car. [3] [30]
Economists Jennifer Doleac and Nicholas Sanders found that robberies drop about 7% overall, and 27% in the evening hours after the spring time change. They state, “Most street crime occurs in the evening around common commuting hours of 5 to 8 PM, and more ambient light during typical high-crime hours makes it easier for victims and passers-by to see potential threats and later identify wrongdoers.” [17] [22]
Also, daylight in the evening makes it safer for joggers, people walking dogs after work, and children playing outside, among others, because drivers are able to see people more easily and criminal activity is lowered.
Read More
Pro 2
DST is good for the economy.
Later daylight means more people shopping after work, increasing retail sales, and more people driving, increasing gas and snacks sales for eight months of the year (the time we spend in DST). [2] [18] [19]
The golf industry reports that one month of DST was worth $200 to $400 million because of the extended evening hours golfers can play. The barbecue industry estimates their profits increase $150 million for one month of DST. In 2007, an estimated $59 million was saved because fewer robberies were committed thanks to the sun being up later. [2] [3]
Chambers of Commerce tend to support DST because of the positive effect on the economy. Consumer spending increases during DST, giving the economy a boost. Compared to Phoenix, Arizona, which does not have DST, Los Angeles, California, shoppers spent 3.5% less at local retailers after DST ended in the fall. [21] [31]
Read More
Pro 3
DST promotes active lifestyles.
When the day is lighter later, people tend to participate in more outdoor activities after work. [14]
Hendrik Wolff, Associate Professor of Economics at Simon Fraser University, states, because of DST “people engaged in more outdoor recreation and less indoor-TV watching… An additional 3 percent of people engaged in outdoor behaviors who otherwise would have stayed indoors.” [2]
Michael Downing, author of Spring Forward, states, “Baseball [was] a huge early supporter, too, because there [was] no artificial illumination of parks, so [they could] get school kids and workers to ball games with the extended daylight, they have a later start time.” [12]
Read More
Con 1
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is bad for your health.
Changing sleep patterns, even by one hour, goes against a person’s natural circadian rhythms and has negative consequences for health. One study found that the risk of a heart attack increases 10% the Monday and Tuesday following the spring time change. [1] [2]
Researchers found an increase in cluster headaches (sudden and debilitating headaches) after the fall time change. [15]
James Wyatt, Associate Professor at Rush University Medical Center, states, “We’re encountering an increase in extra auto and workplace accidents on Monday or perhaps even carrying through the first week of the Spring time shift.” [1]
In the weeks following the spring DST time change, male suicide rates rose in Australia compared to the weeks following the return to standard time in the fall. [4]
DST increases the risk that a car accident will be fatal by 5-6.5% and results in over 30 more deaths from car accidents annually. [29]
Read More
Con 2
DST drops productivity.
The Monday after the spring time change is called “Sleepy Monday,” because it is one of the most sleep-deprived days of the year. The week after the spring DST time change sees an increase in “cyber-loafing” (employees wasting time on the internet) because they’re tired. [5] [23]
Till Roenneberg, a German chronobiologist, who studies the body’s relationship with light and dark, notes that the human circadian clock doesn’t adjust to DST and the “consequence of that is that the majority of the population has drastically decreased productivity, decreased quality of life, increasing susceptibility to illness, and is just plain tired.” [2]
Read More
Con 3
DST is expensive.
William F. Shughart II, economist at Utah State University, states that the simple act of changing clocks costs Americans $1.7 billion in lost opportunity cost based on average hourly wages, meaning that the ten or so minutes spent moving clocks, watches, and devices forward and backward could be spent on something more productive. [2]
The Air Transport Association estimated that DST cost the airline industry $147 million dollars in 2007 thanks to confused time schedules with countries who do not participate in the time change. [1]
According to the Lost-Hour Economic Index, moving the clocks forward has a total cost to the US economy of $434 million nationally, factoring in health issues, decreased productivity, and workplace injuries. [32]
Read More
Source: Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-USZC4-10663)
Did You Know?
1. Benjamin Franklin is often credited with the idea of DST because, in a satirical letter to the authors of The Journal of Paris, he suggested the French wake earlier to take advantage of “using sunshine instead of candles.” [6] [7] [8]
2. DST as we know it was proposed by a New Zealand entomologist, George Vernon Hudson, who wanted longer hours for insect study. [28]
3. The first locality to enact DST was Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay, Ontario), Canada, in 1908. The first country to enact DST was Germany on Apr. 30, 1916, although the Germans dropped the time change at war’s end. [6] [8]
4. American farmers were opposed to DST because, regardless of what the clock said, their cows weren’t ready to be milked until later in the day during DST. [1] [8]
5. A resort in Madagascar created its own DST, which runs an hour ahead of the rest of the country, so the lemurs would “naturally join us in the Oasis garden… for the ‘5 O’clock tea.'” [9]
6. Some ancient civilizations are known to have used practices similar to DST. Roman water clocks, for example, used different scales for different times of the year. [10]
1. Should the United States keep Daylight Saving Time? Why or why not?
2. Do you feel the effects of springing forward and/or falling back? What effects and how do they impact your day?
3. Compare and contrast the economic benefits and disadvantages of Daylight Saving Time. Is DST good or bad for the economy overall? Explain your answer.
1. Consider which states have enacted laws promoting full-time Daylight Saving Time with the National Conference of State Legislatures.
2. Explore the benefits and disadvantages of Daylight Saving Time with National Geographic.
3. Evaluate the objectives of the Save Standard Time campaign.
4. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the “other side of the issue” now helps you better argue your position.
5. Push for the position and policies you support by writing U.S. national senators and representatives.
| 1. | Alexander Abad-Santos, "Daylight Saving Time Is America's Greatest Shame," theatlantic.com, Nov. 1, 2013 | |
| 2. | Brian Handwerk, "Time to Move On? The Case against Daylight Saving Time," nationalgeographic.com, Nov. 1, 2013 | |
| 3. | Dan Nosowitz, "Shut Up about Daylight Saving Time, It's Actually Great," popularmechanics.com, Oct. 31, 2016 | |
| 4. | Michael Berk, et al., "Small Shifts in Diurnal Rhythms Are Associated with an Increase in Suicide: The Effect of Daylight Saving," Sleep and Biological Rhythms, Jan. 2008 | |
| 5. | Michelle Gallardo, "Are You Goofing Off at Work Today?," abc7chicago.com, Mar. 13, 2012 | |
| 6. | Benjamin Franklin, "Letter to the Editor of The Journal of Paris, 1784," webexhibits.org, 1784 | |
| 7. | David Preau, "A Brief History of Daylight Saving Time," seizethedaylight.com (accessed Feb. 28, 2017) | |
| 8. | Christopher Klein, "8 Things You May Not Know about Daylight Saving Time," history.com, Mar. 9, 2012 | |
| 9. | Malaka Gharib, "Much of the World Doesn't Do Daylight Saving Time. How Come?," npr.org, Mar. 12, 2016 | |
| 10. | Timeanddate.com, "History of Daylight Saving Time – DST," timeanddate.com (accessed Feb. 28, 2017) | |
| 11. | Robert Valencia, "When Is Daylight Saving Time/Day 2017? Here's What You Need to Know," mic.com, Feb. 27, 2017 | |
| 12. | Olivia B. Waxman, "The Real Reason Why Daylight Saving Time Is a Thing," time.com, Nov. 4, 2016 | |
| 13. | Edward J. Markey, "Markey: It's Polar to Solar with Daylight Savings [sic] Time Extension," markey.senate.gov, Mar. 7, 2014 | |
| 14. | Leah Zerbe, "The Shocking Truth behind Daylight Saving Time," rodalesorganiclife.com, Mar. 11, 2016 | |
| 15. | Tracy Miller, "Daylight Saving Time Ends: How to Fall Back the Healthy Way," nydailynews.com, Nov. 1, 2013 | |
| 16. | Carli Brosseau, "Daylight Saving Time Linked to Lower Violent Crime Rates, Study Finds," oregonlive.com, Oct. 30, 2015 | |
| 17. | Jennifer Doleac and Nicholas J. Sanders, "Under the Cover of Darkness: How Ambient Light Influences Criminal Activity," The Review of Economics and Statistics, Dec. 8, 2015 | |
| 18. | NPR, "The Reasoning behind Changing Daylight Saving," npr.org, Mar. 8, 2007 | |
| 19. | Lucas Powers, "Daylight Saving Time 2016: How Big Business Benefits from More Sunshine," cbc.ca, Mar. 12, 2016 | |
| 20. | Princeton Survey Research Associates International, "Daylight Savings [sic] Time," princetondatasource.com (accessed Mar. 4, 2019) | |
| 21. | Brian Handwerk, "The Politics of Daylight Saving Time," nationalgeographic.com, Oct. 28, 2015 | |
| 22. | Kevin Drum, "Want a Safer City? Keep Daylight Savings [sic] Time Year Round!," motherjones.com, Oct. 31, 2015 | |
| 23. | Cari Romm, "Thanks to Daylight Saving Time, Nobody's Getting Anything Done at Work Today," nymag.com, Mar. 13, 2017 | |
| 24. | Charles Q. Choi, "Does Daylight Saving Time Conserve Energy?," scientificamerican.com, Mar. 1, 2009 | |
| 25. | Stephanie Pappas, "Does Daylight Saving Time Really Save Energy?," livescience.com, Nov. 2, 2016 | |
| 26. | Kurt Snibbe, "How Daylight Saving Time Started – and Why This Year's Could Be the Last for California," mercurynews.com, Mar. 11, 2017 | |
| 27. | Time Zone Report, "Legislative Summary," timezonereport.com, Mar. 1, 2017 | |
| 28. | Sandy Hingston, "Daylight Saving Time Is Stupid and Expensive and Dangerous," phillymag.com, Oct. 30, 2015 | |
| 29. | Austin C. Smith, "Spring Forward at Your Own Risk: Daylight Saving Time and Fatal Vehicle Crashes," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, Apr. 2016 | |
| 30. | Beverly Bird, "The Economic Impacts of Daylight Saving Time," reviewjournal.com, Mar. 13, 2017 | |
| 31. | Ben Steverman, "Proof Daylight Saving Time Is Dumb, Dangerous, and Costly," bloomberg.com, Mar. 10, 2017 | |
| 32. | SleepBetter, "SleepBetter Lost-Hour Economic Index," sleepbetter.org (accessed Mar. 13, 2017) | |
| 33. | #LockTheClock, "Current Legislation," sco.tt/time (accessed Mar. 4, 2019) | |
| 34. | AP and NORC, "Daylight Saving Time vs Standard Time," apnorc.org (accessed Feb. 27, 2020) | |
| 35. | Celine Castronuovo, "Florida Senators Pushing to Keep Daylight Savings [sic] Time during Pandemic," thehill.com, Sep. 17, 2020 | |
| 36. | Time and Date, "Time Change 2022 in the United States," timeanddate.com (accessed Feb. 16, 2022) | |
| 37. | National Conference of State Legislatures, "Daylight Saving Time | State Legislation," ncsl.org, Oct. 5, 2021 | |
| 38. | Time and Date, ""Daylight Saving Time around the World 2021," timeanddate.com (accessed Feb. 16, 2022) | |
| 39. | Harry Enten, "The Daylight Saving Time Debate Is Nothing to Lose Sleep Over," cnn.com, Mar. 12, 2022 | |
| 40. | Amelia Nierenberg, "Fall Back? Spring Ahead? How about Neither, Experts Say.," nytimes.com, Mar. 11, 2022 | |
| 41. | Alexander Bolton, "Senate Unanimously Approves Making Daylight Saving Time Permanent," the hill.com, Mar. 15, 2022 | |
| 42. | NBC Chicago, "Permanent Daylight Saving Time Up in the Air as Bill Not Yet Scheduled for House Debate," nbcchicago.com, Sep. 8, 2022 | |
| 43. | Time and Date, ""Daylight Saving Time around the World 2021," timeanddate.com (accessed Oct. 18, 2022) | |
| Monmouth University, "Few Americans Like Resetting Clocks," monmouth.edu, Mar. 15, 2022 |
Should the Federal Minimum Wage Be Increased? – Proponents say raising the wage will increase economic activity. Opponents say raising the wage would force businesses to lay off employees.
Should the Federal Government Pay Reparations to the Descendants of Slaves? – Proponents say reparations could resolve giant disparities in wealth left by slavery. Opponents say no one living is responsible for slavery.
Should the United States Implement a Universal Basic Income? – Should the US implement a UBI program? Proponents say it’ll reduce poverty and income inequality. Opponents say it’ll remove the incentive to work.
