At this point, the modern anomaly known as Daylight Saving Time (DST) would appear to exist solely to torture large portions of mankind for the sheer hell of it. Two times a year, otherwise content human beings are subjected to the nonsense of DST, a persistent force of evil that makes people really late and/or really early for appointments of both labor and leisure. As John Oliver once so eloquently asked from atop his HBO throne, how is this still a thing?
For the cold (warm?) hard facts on DST, we turn to Citylab. The time-altering nuisance doesn’t actually reduce so-called "electric demand," as it was originally intended to do. DST also (obviously) destroys everyone’s fragile sleep habits, which experts say can cause "upwards of $400 million" in economic losses each and every DST-infested year. Furthermore, this tomfoolery is apparently associated with heart attacks, traffic accidents, and seasonal mood disorders. In short: DST would appear to be a brutal, antiquated form of torture that we should all swiftly abandon to ensure a brighter, happier future.
Cartographer Andy Woodruff recently tackled DST’s purported pros and cons via a series of maps and thorough statistical breakdowns on his blog, ultimately arriving at the conclusion that DST’s effectiveness (or lack thereof) mostly depends on where you live and how early you rise:
But, if you’re one of those bizarre individuals who unabashedly adores the giant devil in the sky (the sun), then you might consider moving to Hawaii, where the sun rises and falls before 7 a.m. and after 5 p.m. all year long. So, should you keep on hating DST with the same dedication? Peep Andy's summary below (and the interactive version here), then take your sun-starved body back to bed:
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