Daylight Savings Time–The Great Debate

On Sunday, November 6, 2016, in the U.S., clocks are turned back an hour. This is Daylight Savings Time, also referred to as “Fall Back” or “Winter Time.” Expect sunrise and sunset to be about an hour earlier, and more light in the morning.

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Over 70 countries use Daylight Saving Time.

Main reasons include:
Conserving energy by utilizing more natural light, rather than artificial light.
Decreasing road accidents because roads are naturally during heavy traffic hours.

However,
Dairy farmers often protest that changing our clocks an hour twice a year makes milking cows and getting the milk collected in time is a challenge. Although our modern dairy farms oftentimes utilize robots for cow milking, farmers in developing countries are affected.

What are your thoughts about Daily Savings Time? Is it time to fall back?
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Comments

42 responses to “Daylight Savings Time–The Great Debate”

  1. Pamela Devereux Avatar
    Pamela Devereux

    I understand the reasoning. Parents don’t want their kids going to school while it is dark outside in the morning. I personally could care less. I do enjoy the fall back time. I like that extra hour of sleep in the morning. You can keep the spring forward.

    1. I agree, Pamela. I truly don’t think we need to change the clocks anymore.

  2. Alice Nieuwendijk Avatar
    Alice Nieuwendijk

    We had it last week. I dont know why is not the same is all over the world. Oh welll that wasnt the question. It effects all the people. Nu little girl is the couple after do tired.

    1. Alice,
      My daughter is currently studying in Northern Ireland and they changed their clocks last week. Where are you located?

      1. Alice Nieuwendijk Avatar
        Alice Nieuwendijk

        I live in the Netherlands

        1. Always wanted to visit there, Alice. Beautiful country!

          1. Alice Nieuwendijk Avatar
            Alice Nieuwendijk

            Its sure is ?

  3. Teresa Fordice Avatar
    Teresa Fordice

    Hubs is full time farmer and as a state have only changed time for a few years. Hate it as we should be on central time and not eastern anyway due to location

    1. Interesting, Teresa. Where are you located?

  4. Tammy kirshman Avatar
    Tammy kirshman

    Good foggy morning here in Greenville Michigan today. I really don’t like time change. It messes my dogs all up for feeding times lol

    1. Tammy, That’s interesting that the dogs “feel” the time change. That’s instinct, I guess. :

  5. Linda Marie Avatar
    Linda Marie

    While I like the extra hour, I prefer it stay Standard Time all year. Many still have to get up in the dark, drive to work (often still dark) and drive home in the dark. Extra hours of daylight at night would enable parents to spend time with family doing outdoor activities that would ensure the little ones sleep better at night. More daylight helps you psychologically as well as emotionally.

    1. Linda Marie, You’ve brought up a very good point about families being limited by the time change, and unable to spend time enjoying outdoor activities with their kids.

  6. Elizabeth Dent Avatar
    Elizabeth Dent

    I personally would wish that they put the time one way and leave it thee .
    lizd225(at)gmail(dot)com

    1. Liz, I agree with you!

  7. Pamela Paterakis Avatar
    Pamela Paterakis

    I understand why they started it years ago, but those reasons are no longer valid. Have lived in Hawaii and Arizona and loved leaving time alone!

    1. Pamela, I didn’t realize that Hawaii and Arizona don’t change their clocks. Thanks for the informative reply.

  8. Jessica Robinson Avatar
    Jessica Robinson

    I understand the reasoning, but truth be told…I just don’t care. I like that’s it’s lighter in the morning for kids and farm chores, but getting dark earlier is horrible. I guess it just doesn’t do me any good to complain so I don’t think about it much.

    1. I like the extra light in the morning, Jessica, but don’t enjoy the LONG, dark evenings.

  9. Judy Tucker Avatar
    Judy Tucker

    It’s very confusing I was awake at3 a.m. had to get up at4. Couldn’t go back to sleep. I was raised on dairy farm but don’t remember if my folks had any problems. Of course this was when the cows were only milked twice a day.

    1. Josie Riviera Avatar
      Josie Riviera

      Daylight Savings Time IS confusing, Judy!

  10. I am with the cows. I wish they would leave it one way or the other.

    1. Love, it Susan! I am with the cows, too!

  11. I like daylight savings time, but don’t feel the need to change the clocks. There are still the same number of hours of light in the day, you just have to adjust your schedule to fit.

    1. Lori, I agree with you. I don’t know why we need to change the clocks, either.

    2. I’m with you, Lori!

  12. I think the idea stinks! And ditto what the others said!

  13. Jo Anne V Avatar
    Jo Anne V

    I wish they would just choose one time and stick with it year in and year out

    1. Me and you both, JoAnne!

  14. Andrea Stephens Avatar
    Andrea Stephens

    I think we should stay on one time and give up changing the clocks. I HATE “winter-time” when the sun sets at 4:30 in the afternoon. I have to give my husband certain medications at certain times every day, changing the clocks twice a year throws everything into a tizzy. I have to set an alarm about a week ahead and start giving the medicine a little earlier or later depending on if it’s Spring ahead or Fall back so he gets the proper dose. It takes me weeks to get used to the change.
    In today’s electronics filled world there is no longer any benefit of changing the time.

    1. Andrea, So very well said! You have offered a very good perspective involving medication, also. Thanks for sharing.

  15. Kimberly Avatar
    Kimberly

    I believe we should leave time alone. It causes more problems as we have to adjust our bodies to the time. I have enough trouble with exhaustion without the time change in the fall.

    1. Very true, Kimberly. It takes me a few days to adjust to the time change.

  16. Wanda whitney Avatar
    Wanda whitney

    Crazy don’t bother changing

  17. Brenda W Avatar
    Brenda W

    I like daylight savings time because there is more light for driving to work in the morning. People won’t be in as much of a hurry to get home in the evenings as they are trying to beat the clock at work in the mornings. So it is safer for drivers and children waiting for school buses. I have trouble adapting quickly to different seasons and daylight savings time anyway.

    1. Brenda, I see your points, but then it gets dark so early! ๐Ÿ™

  18. Margaret Appel Avatar
    Margaret Appel

    Personally I think it’s time to boot the Daylight Savings thing altogether. Send the kids to school later & make sure they’re home before dark. Work more from home or go in earlier / later to avoid heavy traffic. And don’t even go there with the “utilize natural light” crap. Irregardless of work shift, the lights are on day & night in almost every building where there are workers. The only ones “utilizing” that “natural light” are those who work outdoors, the animals, and outdoor plants. And on top of that, all these countries doing DST aren’t even springing forward & falling back at the same time. Talk about a major headache. Somewhere someone is having way too much fun messing with folks.

    1. SO well said, Margaret!

  19. This topic certainly sparked a lot of interest, with most people not agreeing with the Daylight Savings Time clock changes.

    Margaret Appel-you’ve won a copy of my free sweet romance ebook–A Snowy White Christmas!

    Please email me at josieriviera@aol.com

    Thanks to everyone for their thought-provoking comments! This was so much fun and very interesting!