Daylight Saving Time
DST is the process or practice of advancing clocks forward during spring and vice versa at fall. Regions that prominently experience seasonal changes in the daylight hours usually follow the cycle. The main argument for implementing DST is an effort to make better utilization of daylight during days, when daylight hours are increased, thus saving more amount of energy by decreasing its artificial usage.
The concept was first introduced by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 with the intention of conserving candles. However, it began to be implemented only in the early years of the 20th century. Many countries enforced DST at the beginning of World War I and World War II, where saving fuel and resources could aid the war cause. To date, about 70 countries have adopted the practice, though it is largely followed in Europe and North America. However, this shift in time is hardly used by equatorial countries since the daylight hours do not vary much throughout the year.
Though beneficial on paper, DST has still remained a controversial concept. The proponents argue that the implementation of DST maximizes productivity and saves energy since more daylight hours exist during the evening. Critics counter that studies show it to have health dangers from increased heart attacks and disruption in sleep patterns due to time changes. As such, some regions have taken this debate to an extent where they are proposing a total abolishment of DST while some U.S. states and European Union countries opt for year-round standard time.
Ultimately, the main objective of DST is to maximize the use of natural daylight and reduce energy consumption. The health and wellbeing impacts are still debated and its future is uncertain since societies will weigh the advantages against possible disadvantages.
