By shifting an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening, DST aims to make better use of natural light, leading to energy conservation and enhanced outdoor activities.
DST has been a long subject of debate, with both sides offering compelling arguments.
However, the process of shifting the clocks forward in spring and back in the fall brings a variety of benefits that positively impact society, economy, and human well being.
DST started in 1916 in the Germany during wartime as a way to save energy.
It was then instilled two years later in 1918 in America to help save energy costs during World War One.
One of the strongest arguments as to why DST is needed in our society is through the energy conservation that it brings.
By shifting the clocks forward in spring, more daylight hours are available during the evening, which means that as a society, we rely on artificial light and heat less, utilizing the natural daylight in turn saving energy.
According to a 2021 Stanford University study, there is a 0.34% decrease in electricity consumption on Daylight Savings days.
Additionally, with longer daylight hours comes more activity that can have a direct impact on consumer behavior as well as economic activity.
With longer evenings, it encourages people to spend more time outside or in public in a variety of different ways.
People go out to eat more, go shopping, or participate in recreational activities.
This boosts the amount of people out and spending money, which in turn boosts the economy.
Activities such as outdoor gatherings, concerts and sports games are able to happen more frequently, following the changes in DST.
DST also provides support for public health.
With the increase of daylight hours also comes the potential to improve people’s physical activity and keep them active.
Longer daylight hours allows people to participate in outdoor activities such as walks, jogs, or outdoor sports.
This produces a variety of benefits, as it helps people with their physical health as well as their mental health.
The outdoors and sunlight have been shown to help people improve their mental wellbeing.
This concept has been supported by various studies in science.
According to the National Library of Medicine, studies have indicated that a positive correlation between sunlight exposure and mental health does exist.
Natural sunlight exposure is linked to increased serotonin production, a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in regulating mood and promoting feelings of happiness and well-being.
Additionally, many people struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), commonly known as seasonal depression, which can be relieved with the usage of DST.
This type of depression is alleviated with increased sunlight exposure, which is exactly what DST offers.
Sunlight also boosts Vitamin D production, which is yet another essential health benefit. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is necessary for the production of vitamin D in the skin and is the best natural source of vitamin D.
In addition, DST has also been shown to help reduce crime with the extended hours of daylight. Crimes, including assaults mainly occur in the darkness, where visibility for the victims are limited.
By allowing the public to have more hours of daylight, it increases safety for many, especially women who wish to travel by foot who do not usually feel safe doing so in the dark.
Robbery rates have also been proven to drop, by a notable percentage during Daylight Savings, as the additional sunlight makes it more difficult for criminals to be successful.
Overall, the increase in daylight allows more people to feel safer, especially with nighttime activities and in their own homes, which is needed for fufillment among humans.