Daylight Savings Time (DST) was first proposed by William Willett in the year 1907 as a way for people to enjoy more outdoor activities during certain times of the year.
His proposal didn't get much support, but that all changed during the the First World War. DST was promoted as a way to alleviate hardships from wartime coal shortages and air raid blackouts.
We still dutifully turn our clocks ahead in the spring and back in the fall, but does it really make a difference? Many studies would suggest that it doesn't--not in our day and age. There are no substantial fuel savings as, unlike our ancestors, we don't get up with the sun, nor go to bed when it goes down.
Our lives aren't as tied to the rise and fall of the sun. The malls are still full whether it's morning, afternoon or evening. And the extra hour of sunlight in the summer doesn't make a whit of difference to most of us as we go about our daily activities.
Personally, I think it's more habit than anything else that keeps us following DST. Many countries around the world no longer use it, and there is a portion that never have.
I could do without it.
How about you?
5 comments:
The DST change throws me off completely whenever it happens. I wish they'd get rid of it to be honest.
I spent last night before bed turning all my clocks back. I hate it big time. Plus, since Bush pushed up DST and pushed back Fall Back my computer, which adjusts for the time change automatically, is wrong for a couple weeks before the main clocks get turned. It's an older computer, I got it back in 2001. There is a patch you can get from windows to fix the automatic change, but even windows says it's not worth it as it might cause a system crash.
I hate the time changes, I get no extra hour out of it and I don't lose an hour either. I wish they'd just do away with it. It's a real hassle every six months.
Throws me off too, Christine. I don't see why they bother.
It is a hassle, Kathy. I always seem to forget one clock. LOL And forget the one on the DVR and stereo. I leave those to hubby to change.
I'd love to do away with it. It's a twice-a-year hassle that I can't see any benefit from. You get the same hours of daylight no matter what you set the clock to, so what's the point?
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