"Daylight Savings history is rather odd and is not to help farmers as we had been told. Although is it really relevant? Here is some history to solve the mystery of this confusing and complicated clock change. -- Isabella Schainker, 7th Grade
What is Daylight Savings? Daylights Savings is the practice of changing and advancing clocks during warm months so that darkness falls later each day according to the clock. The basic idea of daylight savings is to set clocks forward by one hour in the spring otherwise known as "spring forward," and set clocks back by one hour in autumn known as "fall back" to return to standard time. According to Webexhibits.com, the main purpose of Daylight Savings is to make better use of daylight. We change our clocks during the summer months to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. Countries have different change dates for this process.
Entomologist, George Hudson proposed the idea of “saving daylight” in 1895. Before it was polished,Hudson’s original idea was a two-hour time shift so he'd have more after-work hours of sunlight to go bug hunting in the summer. Seven years later, an Englishman named William Willet proposed a similar idea to many areas of England in effort to conserve fuel in World War l. Although according to Wikipedia, the first nationwide implementation was organized by the German Empire and Austria-Hungary in 1916. Many countries have used it at various times since then, particularly since the 1970s energy crisis. Despite the common rumor, the purpose was not to help the farmers and people that populated rural areas although it may have benefited them.
However, Daylight Savings clock shifts can sometimes complicate timekeeping and can disrupt travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, work and school schedules, and sleep patterns. It is often true that computer software adjusts clocks to the change automatically, but the policy changes by various challenges of daylight savings dates and timings that may be confusing. According to HealthEuropa.eu, research has shown how, over time, Daylight Savings can have negative impacts on health–increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Over time, Daylight Saving eliminates bright morning light that critically synchronises biological clocks, which can be associated with increased risk of heart attack and ischaemic stroke, as well as other negative effects of partial sleep deprivation.
“I don’t like it, it messes up my children’s schedule and that messes with my schedule,” says Grace Hu, a tilden resident . “It mainly affects my family and when they don't have sleep, I don’t have sleep.” Hu consults parental experiences and explains how she sees no positive outcomes of Daylight Savings. She believes life would be better without it as then her and her family would not have to adjust to a new time and schedule.
According to PNC economists, daylight savings has perceived effects on health and crime, but its impact on the economy is ultimately inconclusive.“It’s not something I have ever considered as an economic factor,” he said. “It would be hard to attribute any gains or losses economically to Daylight Saving Time because there are so many other potential variables.”
“I think that daylight savings definitely affects my mindset and schedule, it messes with my head when it looks like midnight outside but it's like 5pm,” said Lily Schainker, a senior at Oakland Technical Highschool “Although I do appreciate the tradition of winter nights being colder and I say that's nice for me.”
Schainker went on to explain how daylight savings can mess with her homework because she needs a certain mindset to get her work done and she gets thrown off. As well as her social life which is already complicated by Covid 19, it is harder to find time to plan and gather with friends.
“I think that possibly we could implement a new system that is different so that it is not such a dramatic change but I see how people disagree with the idea and I can agree with some of their viewpoints,” Schainker conceded. “We need to modernize the idea and evolve the procedure. I think it applies now because we still have changes and it is normalized in society but I don't think we technically need it anymore, we have electricity and heat and alarms so it's not waking up with dawn or anything anymore.”
“This system’s twice-a-year transitions have become increasingly unpopular,” writes journalist Diana Kwon in an article for the ScientificAmerican.. Scientists have been calling attention to the damaging effects of the time changes which include a general reduction in mental and physical well-being, as well as a potential increased risk of serious complications, such as strokes and heart attacks, soon after the shifts. There is also evidence of increases in traffic fatalities and harmful medical errors shortly following when clocks are moved forward in the spring. Governments around the world have been in discussions about getting rid of the seasonal clock changes and sticking to one time, either permanent standard time or permanent daylight saving.
In the US, many states are considering, or have already passed, legislation to adopt one of the two. Hawaii and most of Arizona decided to adopt standard time more than 50 years ago. Last year the European Parliament voted to abolish the time shifts, but the member states of the European Union have yet to agree on how to implement the decision. Is it still relevant in our area? Should we choose a side?
“I personally hate daylight savings, parts of my family live in Arizona and they already got rid of it there. I think its outdated, used for stupid reasons here, I mean for Idaho and other rural places and farmlands it may be more useful but not in coastal areas. I would say not for any urban areas for that matter,” said Declan McMahon, a 8th grade student at OSA. McMahon finds daylight savings unnecessary and displays hatred towards unwanted switch.
He states that daylight savings mainly affects his homework, sleep, and stress levels. “It tires me out, it gives me what feels like less time to do my work. It affects sleep, homework, and stress mainly, the change stress me out.”
According to apNews.com, one US study found that in the week following the spring switch to daylight saving time, teens slept about 2.5 hours less than the previous week. Many people never caught up during the subsequent six months and the effect lasted throughout this time.
Paloma, a 7 year old and online student at Kensington Elementary explains her personal thoughts about this complicated idea. Surprisingly, she does know the definition of daylight savings but has a hard time thinking why they would choose to do this. She explains that she has noticed the clocks changed but she hasn't noticed any big differences in her life because of it. Paloma doesn’t have a distinct opinion about daylight savings as a whole but states that certain parts of it do seem to affect her. “It sort of affects the way I do things, since usually when it's one hour later I start thinking about what the time used to be. Then I start thinking about the difference between the time before and the time now.”
Entomologist, George Hudson proposed the idea of “saving daylight” in 1895. Before it was polished,Hudson’s original idea was a two-hour time shift so he'd have more after-work hours of sunlight to go bug hunting in the summer. Seven years later, an Englishman named William Willet proposed a similar idea to many areas of England in effort to conserve fuel in World War l. Although according to Wikipedia, the first nationwide implementation was organized by the German Empire and Austria-Hungary in 1916. Many countries have used it at various times since then, particularly since the 1970s energy crisis. Despite the common rumor, the purpose was not to help the farmers and people that populated rural areas although it may have benefited them.
However, Daylight Savings clock shifts can sometimes complicate timekeeping and can disrupt travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, work and school schedules, and sleep patterns. It is often true that computer software adjusts clocks to the change automatically, but the policy changes by various challenges of daylight savings dates and timings that may be confusing. According to HealthEuropa.eu, research has shown how, over time, Daylight Savings can have negative impacts on health–increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Over time, Daylight Saving eliminates bright morning light that critically synchronises biological clocks, which can be associated with increased risk of heart attack and ischaemic stroke, as well as other negative effects of partial sleep deprivation.
“I don’t like it, it messes up my children’s schedule and that messes with my schedule,” says Grace Hu, a tilden resident . “It mainly affects my family and when they don't have sleep, I don’t have sleep.” Hu consults parental experiences and explains how she sees no positive outcomes of Daylight Savings. She believes life would be better without it as then her and her family would not have to adjust to a new time and schedule.
According to PNC economists, daylight savings has perceived effects on health and crime, but its impact on the economy is ultimately inconclusive.“It’s not something I have ever considered as an economic factor,” he said. “It would be hard to attribute any gains or losses economically to Daylight Saving Time because there are so many other potential variables.”
“I think that daylight savings definitely affects my mindset and schedule, it messes with my head when it looks like midnight outside but it's like 5pm,” said Lily Schainker, a senior at Oakland Technical Highschool “Although I do appreciate the tradition of winter nights being colder and I say that's nice for me.”
Schainker went on to explain how daylight savings can mess with her homework because she needs a certain mindset to get her work done and she gets thrown off. As well as her social life which is already complicated by Covid 19, it is harder to find time to plan and gather with friends.
“I think that possibly we could implement a new system that is different so that it is not such a dramatic change but I see how people disagree with the idea and I can agree with some of their viewpoints,” Schainker conceded. “We need to modernize the idea and evolve the procedure. I think it applies now because we still have changes and it is normalized in society but I don't think we technically need it anymore, we have electricity and heat and alarms so it's not waking up with dawn or anything anymore.”
“This system’s twice-a-year transitions have become increasingly unpopular,” writes journalist Diana Kwon in an article for the ScientificAmerican.. Scientists have been calling attention to the damaging effects of the time changes which include a general reduction in mental and physical well-being, as well as a potential increased risk of serious complications, such as strokes and heart attacks, soon after the shifts. There is also evidence of increases in traffic fatalities and harmful medical errors shortly following when clocks are moved forward in the spring. Governments around the world have been in discussions about getting rid of the seasonal clock changes and sticking to one time, either permanent standard time or permanent daylight saving.
In the US, many states are considering, or have already passed, legislation to adopt one of the two. Hawaii and most of Arizona decided to adopt standard time more than 50 years ago. Last year the European Parliament voted to abolish the time shifts, but the member states of the European Union have yet to agree on how to implement the decision. Is it still relevant in our area? Should we choose a side?
“I personally hate daylight savings, parts of my family live in Arizona and they already got rid of it there. I think its outdated, used for stupid reasons here, I mean for Idaho and other rural places and farmlands it may be more useful but not in coastal areas. I would say not for any urban areas for that matter,” said Declan McMahon, a 8th grade student at OSA. McMahon finds daylight savings unnecessary and displays hatred towards unwanted switch.
He states that daylight savings mainly affects his homework, sleep, and stress levels. “It tires me out, it gives me what feels like less time to do my work. It affects sleep, homework, and stress mainly, the change stress me out.”
According to apNews.com, one US study found that in the week following the spring switch to daylight saving time, teens slept about 2.5 hours less than the previous week. Many people never caught up during the subsequent six months and the effect lasted throughout this time.
Paloma, a 7 year old and online student at Kensington Elementary explains her personal thoughts about this complicated idea. Surprisingly, she does know the definition of daylight savings but has a hard time thinking why they would choose to do this. She explains that she has noticed the clocks changed but she hasn't noticed any big differences in her life because of it. Paloma doesn’t have a distinct opinion about daylight savings as a whole but states that certain parts of it do seem to affect her. “It sort of affects the way I do things, since usually when it's one hour later I start thinking about what the time used to be. Then I start thinking about the difference between the time before and the time now.”