Is the sun finally setting on the practice of changing clocks every six months? Sure, some of us just let the clock be wrong for half the year, and if your phone or computer is your only clock, it just resets itself, so it’s not a big deal.
But that change in time makes for a couple of rough weeks every spring and fall, and the idea of just not doing it anymore is increasingly picking up steam. We don’t know for sure just yet, but it sure looks like lawmakers are on board with folks who are done with changing clocks.
In a rare unanimous move, the U.S. Senate approved a bill that would make Daylight Savings Time permanent starting in 2023.
It’s not law yet; the bill, c0-sponsored by Senators Marco Rubio and Sheldon Whitehouse, among others, still has to pass the House, after which it would have to be signed into law by President Biden.
However, despite the popularity of doing away with time changes, not everyone is a fan.
Some experts have noted that Daylight Savings Time might not be the best choice for ending the clock changes — in particular, sleep experts, who warn of chronic sleep issues.
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Daylight Savings Time began in March 2022, so Standard Time will resume in November 2022.
It’s worth noting that the U.S. has tried permanent Daylight Savings Time before.
In 1973, President Nixon enacted a permanent change to DST, and at first it was hugely popular, with about 79% of Americans supporting the move. However, after the first winter under the change, support dropped to just 42%, owing in no small part to some highly publicized pedestrian fatalities in early-morning darkness.
What do you think? Do you support permanent DST? Would you prefer Standard Time? Or are you okay with changing your clocks? Let us know in the comments!