The sticky daylight saving time dilemma

AHN CHAK-HEE
The author is the head of the global cooperation team at the JoongAng Ilbo.

On March 10, 48 states of the United States, except for Arizona and Hawaii, lost one hour. As 1:59 a.m. local time passed, the clock “sprang forward” to 3 a.m. instead of 2 a.m. Daylight saving time, which was temporarily introduced in 1918, has since been implemented in accordance with the adoption of the Uniform Time Act of 1966.

The system — called “summer time” in Korea — is in place not only in the United States but also in more than 70 countries around the world, including the United Kingdom and the European Union. The United States keeps daylight saving time for eight months, from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November, while Europe activates the system for seven months, starting from the end of March and ending at the end of October. The purpose is to promote spending, enjoy outdoor activities in the evening, and save energy for artificial lighting by “adding” an hour of sunlight in the warmer seasons.

As 320 million Americans have no choice but to follow, like it or not, the system has incited controversies. Debates on daylight saving time have continued for decades since its permanent introduction in the 1960s. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022 to make the system permanent so as to save citizens the trouble of changing the time twice a year, avoid health trouble from the change in sleeping time and prevent traffic accidents. Despite the decision, the bill is still pending in the House after the medical community and considerable parts of the general public opposed permanent daylight saving time on the grounds that the existing standard time fits the biological rhythm better.

Federal-level legislation seems far off, but the movement for each state to choose the standard time or the daylight saving time is gaining support. If a state chooses to keep daylight saving time year-round, it requires the approval of the Congress. But if a state chooses to standardize the time, it is finalized as a state law without the federal approval. In that case, the four standard time zones in the North American continent will inevitably experience confusion and heavy economic damage.

Many people ask whether losing 60 minutes of sleep is such a big deal. When autumn comes, the clock “falls back,” and people can enjoy an extra hour in bed. While it sounds like an unnecessary debate — because the total time remains the same — the moment of decision is approaching anyway.