The concept of daylight saving time (DST) is simple. Starting the second Sunday of March and ending the first Sunday of November, everyone in America (except Alaska, Hawaii, and Arizona for reasons unknown to me) set their clocks one hour earlier to capitalize on all of that precious summer sunlight. If daylight saving time were to end, then we would keep our clocks in “Standard time” year-round, or the time our clocks are set in winter. There are many arguments for or against DST, so I condensed them into a simple pro-con list.
Pro: More afternoon daylight. This is the most obvious pro of DST because there’s nothing to dislike about it. I mean, you get more sunlight after school and into the evenings, which motivates you to do more. And especially for everyone out there who has parents who want them home before dark (you know who you are), that gives you a whole extra hour to hang out with friends! Buy one milkshake at Five Guys and use that as an excuse to stay there for hours! Go to Reno to watch the baseball guys practice! Rant to your friends about that guy who won’t text you back! The possibilities are endless.
Pro: Something to look forward to. Realistically, winter can be hard to get through. Between your Spotify Wrapped being unfit for the public eye or your favorite artist getting robbed at the Grammys, the cold months can be a struggle. Daylight saving, though, is something to mark on your calendars. Something that truly makes it feel like spring is coming. And when DST finally arrives, it feels like concrete evidence that spring is here.
Pro: Safety. Everyone has to get home. Whether you’re metroing, bussing, or using another one of the many ways people get to and from school, feeling safe is a priority. And let’s face it, that’s much easier when the sun’s out.
Con: I can’t argue with the fact that people just don’t. Change. Their. Clocks. Some people simply just don’t know how to, and don’t feel like taking two minutes to look it up on Google. I know we all have that grandma who would rather tough it out through six months of having her clocks behind rather than changing them. I mean, it’s impossible to trust any clocks at her house. “Oh no, is it already five???” “Don’t worry, that clock is just an hour behind.”
Con: Less sunlight in the morning. Waking up at 7:00 am is already a struggle, and compared to some of my friends, that much sleep is a privilege. When it’s pitch black outside, that just adds to the fact that I never want to leave my bed. And because there’s less light in the morning, (at least I use it being darker as an excuse), I hit the snooze button 10 times and I’m late to school. And that’s just me, who doesn’t have to get to school early for any reason. I can’t imagine having to be at JR before the sun rises.
Reviewing the list, I would say that DST isn’t that bad. Sure, it can be pretty inconvenient and it causes permanent distrust for clocks, but the pros simply outweigh the cons. I would much rather struggle to wake up then have less time to hang out with friends. Of course, whether you love it or hate it, the clocks will change again in the fall and the process will repeat, so you’d better go out and enjoy the light while you can.
