Is daylight saving time 'useless'?

We're used to falling back in October and springing forward in March — but some argue that the biannual ritual does more harm than good

Daylight Savings Time
(Image credit: Plush Studios/Bill Reitzel/Blend Images/Corbis)

As we grudgingly set our clocks ahead this weekend, sacrificing a precious hour of sleep to the daylight saving gods, many of us likely had an identical thought: "Is this really necessary?" Daylight saving time (DST) is a decades-old tradition, but many suspect that it "does nothing more than create a nation of groggy and confused citizens," says Deanna Gillen at PolicyMic. Some particularly ticked-off Americans are even circulating an "End Daylight Saving Time" petition on the internet, claiming that DST offers few benefits and calling on lawmakers to end the madness. Here, a guide to DST and its controversies:

When did DST start?

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