INFORMING AMERICA: DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME = DAYLIGHT FAMILY TIME
This project required that we create a design for a microsite called Informing America. We were to choose and conduct research on a topic that was a current social issue. We were to organize our website in an aesthetically pleasing manner as well as an organized and user friendly site.
The topic I chose was Daylight Saving Time and how making DST permanent time benefits the family. Because there is so much current legislation to make DST permanent time, I thought it would be an interesting topic that would be informative and would benefit most people who observe Daylight Saving Time.
PROS
-Daylight Saving Time's (DST) Longer Daylight Hours Promote Safety. Longer daylight hours make driving safer, lowers car accident rates, and lowers the risk of pedestrians being hit by a car.
-DST Is Good for the Economy. Later daylight means more people shopping after work, increasing retail sales, and more people driving, increasing gas and snacks sales for eight months of the year.
-DST Promotes Active Lifestyles. When the day is lighter later, people tend to participate in more outdoor activities after work.
CONS
-Daylight Saving Time (DST) Change Is Bad for Your Health. Changing sleep patterns, even by one hour, goes against a person's natural circadian rhythms and has negative consequences for health.
-DST Drops Productivity. The Monday after the spring time change is called "Sleepy Monday," because it is one of the most sleep-deprived days of the year.
-DST Is Expensive. William F. Shughart II, PhD, Economist at Utah State University, states that the simple act of changing clocks costs Americans $1.7 billion in lost opportunity cost based on average hourly wages, meaning that the ten or so minutes spent moving clocks, watches, and devices forward and backward could be spent on something more productive.
United States of America: States who observe DST and ST with active legislation, no legislation, and passed legislation.
