Like a thief in the middle of the night, daylight savings time ended this year on November 5, robbing us of our previously sunny mid-afternoons. Now, not only is it absolutely freezing, (okay, like 50 degrees, but still) it’s also dark about 99% of the time.
Alright, to be fair, the daylight savings’ cycle isn’t all that bad – I mean, it happens every year. In fact, there’s a very specific reason as to why daylight savings time came to be in the first place. Interestingly, many people believe that Benjamin Franklin created DST, when, in reality, he simply pioneered the idea in 1784. The first law enacting daylight savings time was passed in 1918, during World War I in America, and began as a way to reduce the use of artificial light. However, the law was later repealed 1919 at the end of the war and DST was implemented again during World War II. Since then, America has observed daylight savings time by setting clocks forward an hour on the second Sunday of March and back an hour on the first Sunday of November.
As depressing and gloomy as the nearing winter weather may be, there’s got to be something positive about the cycle of daylight savings time that causes it to occur every single year. Although it may not seem like it, the slight time change does have an even share of pros and cons.
Con #1: Can’t work out late
Tragic, isn’t it? You could once go for a nightly run at 8:30 pm without thinking twice about the sun going down. Now, you’re lucky to get out of a 5:00 pm lecture by sunset. Whether it be going on runs outside or even just going to the gym, we’re forced to walk outside in the dark, making your once daily workout routine a bit more scarce. Not to mention, working out under the hot sun gives you motivation for that beach body. During the winter, it’s hard to stay determined when no one can see your progress under your North Face jacket.
Con #2: Motivation for homework decreases… even more than before
With the absence of natural light, it becomes exceedingly easy to avoid all responsibilities and become, well, just plain lazy. Normally, you’d finish your assignments on time, or at least stay up until they’re completed to a high (okay, decent) standard. But once DST ends, so does any motivation you once had — and the earlier nights make it exceedingly difficult to complete your work.
Con #3: Goodbye social life!
Do you ever reminisce back to the mid-summer-afternoons that just seemed to last forever? Those days when you had time to sleep, hang out with peers and fulfill any responsibilities all before dark? Now, it seems those mid-afternoons have been canceled — all we are left with is morning and night. There is no in between. The lack of time within each day makes maintaining any resemblance of a social life nearly impossible. As much as you want to go out with your friends, it’s dark and cold. You seriously appreciate your bed at times like these.
Pro #1: Earlier mornings = more productive mornings
It’s hard to imagine that there are any pros to the end of DST. However, to be fair, earlier nights also mean earlier mornings. In other words, although the sun disappears rather early in the afternoon, it also appears much earlier in the morning. So to those “morning people,” (if those people actually exist) the end of DST means more time to accomplish tasks early in the a.m. And in all honesty, what college student couldn’t benefit from a more productive morning? Although waking up at 7:00 am is difficult, and sometimes horrifying, it can be beneficial to jump-start your day. It’s no easy task — but, if the sun is up, you can be too.
Pro #2: Naps become a whole lot easier
If you end up waking up earlier than usual after the end of DST, you’re probably going to be craving a nap by mid-afternoon. Hey, even if you sleep in, who doesn’t like a good nap every now and then (or every day)? For most people, napping while it’s still light out can be a bit challenging. Luckily, now that it’s dark by 5 pm, mid-afternoon naps just became a whole lot more feasible. In fact, with a quick power nap, you’re likely to be more productive during the night time — you know, just in case you have some last minute assignments that you’ve been procrastinating.
I know, it’s probably hard to see the bright side when peering out your dorm window at the dark, gloomy streets of Temple — at only 6:00 pm. But, alas, daylight savings time will continue to end (and begin) each year, regardless of our woes. And, hey, if the end of DST is seriously not your cup of tea, you can always look forward to March 12th, when we’ll be able to set our clocks forward again. I know I’ll be counting down the days.