Why do we change our clocks?

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Why do we change our clocks?

Maeve Taylor

Maeve is a business woman and owner of a commercial enterprise. She thrives on new adventures and isn't afraid to take risks. Her style can be described as minimalist, feminine and elegant.

23 Jul 2021

We change our clocks during the summer months to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. Thus, we enjoy more daytime hours and use less energy. On the other hand, time changes can affect our body’s internal biological clock, causing various types of health problems. Despite the disadvantages, many countries change the clocks in relation to the Earth's rotation around the Sun. Why?

Main reasons for the time change

The main reason for the time change is to make better use of natural daylight, so that there is more sunlight during working hours and in the evening. Since there’s more light to enjoy in the evening, we have more time after work to do what we want to. As a result, we are happier. What’s more, due to the fact that we enjoy more natural daylight, we use less artificial light. By doing so, we minimize energy consumption and lower the costs.

The history of changing our clocks

As early as in the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin suggested seasonal time change to make better use of natural daylight. People, however, were not eager to wake up earlier and go to bed earlier. And finally, his idea of daylight saving time didn't come into fruition. It wasn’t until 1907 that William Willet undertook a more scientific analysis of the need for time changes. He proved that by introducing daylight saving time in the UK, the citizens could make huge savings. His suggestion, however, met with criticism from the authorities, and his idea failed. Interestingly enough, the concept of William Willet’s time changes survived and it was introduced in the German Empire during the First World War. The German Empire was followed by the allied Austria-Hungary, and soon afterwards by the UK, which was initially sceptical about changing the clocks. At the beginning, setting the time was adjusted to the war conditions. After the war, each country decided on its own when the time changes should be carried out.

Nowadays, clocks are changed all over the world in over 70 countries. However, some federal states, e.g. the USA, Canada and Australia distribute political power to local governments. While some large countries (Russia and China) don’t change their clocks at all. In the European Union under Directive 2000/84/EC, Member States are obliged to implement daylight saving time (DST) on the last Sunday in March, and revert to standard time on the last Sunday in October.

Advantages and disadvantages of changing the clocks

Undoubtedly, changing the clocks has both advantages and disadvantages. Now, let’s focus on positives. To start with, the daylight saving time minimizes energy consumption and lowers the overall costs. Secondly, during daylight saving time the crime rate drops and the incidence of traffic accidents lowers. Light-filled evening hours discourage criminal activity and driving in the daylight is easier and safer. Thirdly, when we enjoy more natural daylight, we absorb more Vitamin D, which supports immunity and contributes to stable moods. Unfortunately, there are also drawbacks. Many people find it difficult to adjust to a new sleep schedule. In turn, problems with sleeping may make people nervous or less efficient. The time change is also inconvenient for railways as the very tight timetable does not allow for anything going wrong. When the summer time goes to winter time, there is an extra hour, and so the train needs to sit at the station till the scheduled departure time. In turn, when the winter time goes to summer time, every train is delayed. Any such disturbances also mean problems for ICT systems. That is why banks often suspend access to their services during this transition time.

The time change is also troublesome for watch owners as they need to set the hands by gently turning the crown clockwise or counter-clockwise. It’s not necessary, however, if we have a radio-controlled watch or a smartwatch that features advanced Bluetooth and GPS modules. Radio-controlled watches are controlled and set by an atomic clock, which always displays the exact time. To put it another way, such watches automatically adjust to the time zone and local time. If you are interested in radio-controlled watches, check out the Japanese watch brands, especially Citizen, Casio and Seiko. The time changes automatically also in smartwatches as they are paired with our smartphone or other device. Of course, we don’t have to choose only sports smartwatches (though they are great!), e.g. Suunto, Garmin or TomTom. We can also go for elegant smartwatches offered by Fossil Q, Skagen Connected, Guess Connect, MK Access, Tommy Hilfiger 24/7, Timex Metropolitan+, IQ+ and Casio Edifice (specific models).

Prepare for daylight saving time

The time change has numerous economic advantages. That is why it probably won’t be abolished in the near future. If you are sensitive to time changes, prepare yourself before the transition. Consider buying a watch that automatically adjusts itself to the local time.


Maeve Taylor

Maeve is a business woman and owner of a commercial enterprise. She thrives on new adventures and isn't afraid to take risks. Her style can be described as minimalist, feminine and elegant.