Daylight saving time has been a controversial topic since it was first implemented in 1918. Polls show that most people are against switching the time; however, the division stems from whether the time should be kept as standard time (ST) or daylight saving time (DST) year-round.
Moon Zhang, a freshman at Wilton High School, expressed that she disliked the time change in general, explaining how she “doesn’t like how it throws off my sleep schedule” and how the time change “disorients” her. She did not have an opinion about whether the time should stay at ST or DST.
However, Nadia Khan, another freshman, had a different take on the topic. She said that she enjoys daylight saving time because it “gives me more time in the daylight,” which “allows me to spend more time outside.” Unlike others, though, she describes how she wants the time to change because she “wants to feel like I am getting more sleep.”
Similar to Khan, proponents of permanent DST enjoy the extra daylight it brings. Generally, politicians and the public support this.
However, scientists and researchers favor permanent ST. A study published in the journal Time & Society showed that year-long DST brought detrimental effects, such as an increased rate of fatal motor-vehicle accidents. Their research demonstrated that DST resulted in “morning darkness,” which made it difficult for individuals to travel to work or school, while also keeping people up later.
This year, daylight savings started Sunday, March 9, and will last until November 2. On Sunday, people living in 48 of the 50 states set their clocks forward an hour, losing an extra hour of sleep.
This pressing issue has been discussed both individually and politically.
Over the past seven years, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), “18 states have enacted legislation to provide for year-round daylight saving time.” None of these bills have passed, however, as “Congress would have to act before states could adopt changes.”
In 2022, a bill called the Sunshine Protection Act was passed unanimously in the Senate. This bill would enact permanent daylight saving time, meaning that no one living in the U.S. would have to change their clocks twice a year.
However, the bill never passed the House of Representatives, since although “clock changes” are generally unpopular, “there is no consensus about whether the permanent standard time or daylight saving time is the best alternative.” This makes it difficult for lawmakers to garner enough support for either side.
Additionally, the process of altering a law is extremely lengthy, making it difficult for a bill to pass.
Now, the bill is being introduced once again. On January 8, 2025, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rick Scott (R-FL) proposed to officially “lock the clock,” making daylight saving time the year-round standard. Currently, the bill is still being discussed in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
What does President Trump have to say about this?
Before he was elected, President Trump was a strong proponent of eliminating daylight saving time, calling it “inconvenient” and “very costly to our nation.”
Since taking office, however, President Trump has called daylight saving “a 50-50 issue,” claiming that “people would like to have more light later, but some people want to have more light earlier because they don’t want to take their kids to school in the dark.”
“And if something is a 50-50 issue, it’s hard to get excited about it,” he says.
Even after 107 years of ongoing debate, with strong opinions on both sides and no definitive resolution, it is unclear whether daylight saving time will, if ever, come to an end.
