We change the clocks, a practice known as Daylight Saving Time (DST), primarily to make better use of daylight during the longer days of summer. By moving clocks forward in spring, we shift an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening, allowing people to have more daylight in the evening hours for activities and potentially reducing the need for artificial lighting. This practice originated from ideas intended to save energy and increase leisure time in daylight.
Reasons for Changing Clocks
- Better use of daylight: DST shifts daylight to later in the evening, which benefits many people who prefer having more daylight after typical work hours.
- Energy conservation: Originally, DST was promoted to save fuel and reduce the use of coal and candles, especially during wartime.
- Historical context: The idea was first proposed by William Willett in 1907 and was implemented during World War I to save fuel. It became widespread in many countries to align human activities with daylight better.
Effects on People's Lives
- DST can improve safety by reducing traffic accidents with more daylight in the evenings.
- It can influence economic activity positively by providing longer daylight hours for shopping and leisure.
- However, it may disrupt natural body clocks for a few days after the change because of the mismatch between social schedules and biological rhythms.
The main goal remains to align daily schedules with natural daylight to save energy and provide more usable daylight during waking hours, though the benefits are debated and vary depending on geographic location and lifestyle.
