Daylight savings is a tradition like no other, people across America seemingly catapult an hour in the spring time to later in the year in the fall. The question is, does the long lasting tradition still have a place in society today? The answer put simply is no. 

A common myth told about daylight savings is that it is to farmers’ benefit, helping them to finish up work in the field with the extra sunlight at the end of the day. The truth is, farmers have actually lobbied against the practice, citing that they lose valuable time in the morning, and that it negatively affects livestock on the farm.

One of the biggest problems with the seasonal time traveling tradition is its effect on sleep. Changing the clocks throws off the natural sleeping schedule of Americans across the country. The idea of getting rid of daylight savings all together was supported by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 2020. This can especially be a problem for parents of young children, whose kids need even more sleep than the average person, causing a nation full of cranky children. 

So who exactly does daylight savings benefit? The Department of Energy found in 2008 that the use of energy fell 0.5% through the use of daylight savings. While this is a benefit, the practice ultimately does more harm than good. Occupations such as mining and law found a decrease in job efficiency due to drowsiness the week after DST. 

Legislation has been passed by the Senate to get rid of changing the clocks in the US and permanently setting the time to daylight savings. The Sunshine Protection act passed in 2022 has yet to be voted on in the House, with no indication of when the act could come into effect. This act would largely benefit the entire country.

Overall, while daylight savings has some energy conservation and economic benefits, America should spring forward into the future of time and not fall back on old traditions to prevent the dreaded confusion of daylight savings.