Once again, we have come to one of my most dreaded times: daylight saving. We have to go through this inconvenience twice a year and it’s still difficult to remember whether we lose or gain an hour. Despite being prepared for this to happen, I reel in shock everytime I leave the house and it’s dark out at 4 pm. Do I enjoy getting an extra hour of sleep? Yes, but the night arriving sooner is depressing and does not help my mood at all.

There was an on-going debate about making daylight saving time permanent. While the bill passed through the Senate, it came to an abrupt halt in the House of Representatives, therefore losing its momentum. 19 states have voted to end Daylight Saving, voicing their concerns over its negative effects. Although the concerns barely moved those in power, states are still actively trying to reinforce a standard time for all year.

Personally, I do not think it is beneficial in any way for us to have daylight saving time. Keeping a permanent time throughout the year is helpful in numerous ways. Changing the clock not only ruins my sleep schedule, but it forces me to get up an hour early. Nationally, I have heard many reports of how daylight saving time (when the clock goes forward one hour) increases vehicle accidents and hospital visits for individuals. Plus, having the sun leave early gives us the illusion of it being late in the hour and that stops our activities.

The biggest ick of daylight saving time in November is that I hate thinking it’s night when it gets dark only for it to be like 5 pm. I like things to be “orderly” and I am obsessed with having a set routine. Having daylight saving forces me to change that routine and gives me a feeling of uneasiness that I don’t find comforting. Also, as I mentioned earlier, it makes me depressed and anxious when I leave my class and suddenly it’s dark. It’s true what they say that the environment around us really interferes with our personal well-being and I can attest to that. 

What do you guys think? Should we keep daylight saving time?