On Sunday, March 10, 2019, almost all the clocks in America will “spring forward” for Daylight Saving Time at 2 a.m. This annual event is exciting because it means Spring is just around the corner, but it’s also a widely dreaded occasion, since it also means everyone will lose an hour of sleep.
The Daylight Saving Time change always starts on the second Sunday in March, and the clocks should be set to 3 a.m. once it hits 2 a.m. While most cell phones, computers and cable boxes will automatically move forward one hour at 2 a.m., any clocks not connected to the Internet will need to be manually adjusted, including microwave and oven timers, wristwatches, radio alarms, and car display clocks that don’t automatically synch with your smart phone via Bluetooth technology.
It’s suggested that people turn the clocks forward before going to bed on Saturday night, even though the actual shift doesn’t happen until the wee hours of Sunday morning.
This year, Daylight Saving Time will continue through November 3, at 2 a.m., in which the clocks will then shift back an hour. Even though this bi-annual event has been a tradition for decades, it may soon be a thing of the past. Especially, since not every state does Daylight Saving Time. Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands don’t have to deal with the confusion of their clocks changing time, and others may soon follow.
Daylight Saving Time (DST) first became popular during World War I as a way to save energy, and America adopted the practice year-round during World War II. It was widely believed that not having to wake up in the dark would allow people to save fuel used for lighting and heat.
But in today’s world, these reasons no longer hold water. Author Michael Downing wrote in his book Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time about how this practice spread haphazardly, and the almost comical political debates that have taken place to keep the tradition going. Advocacy groups like StandardTime.com are fighting to abolish DST entirely.
Do you think we should abolish #DaylightSavingTime?
1. Yes
2. No
5 ways life would be better if it were always #daylightsaving time: t.co/HyUhCqnMVF
Don’t forget to #SpringForward this weekend for DST!
While lawmakers in states like Florida, Oklahoma and Utah have tried and failed to end DST, the issue is still a hotly debated topic. During the 2018 midterm elections in California, 59.75% of voters said “Yes” on Proposition 7, which would all the state legislature to change the date and time of DST as consistent with federal law with a two-thirds vote.
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