SerpApi.Org
I live in Florida, where clocks continue to “spring forward” and “fall back” despite the state-level “Sunshine Protection Act” of 2018, which cannot take effect until federal passage.
As a teenager, the time shift adds zigzags to my emotional rollercoaster, not to mention brain fog and difficulty focusing. My family’s co-occurring moodiness and the obtrusive Miami heat that stretches an hour later during daylight saving time don’t help.
It's agonizing enough to be jolted from slumber by my 7 a.m. alarm when my clock is set to standard time. As a 16-year-old high school student, that familiar pang is a battle cry that pits my circadian rhythm against my calendar.
Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.
Coupled with permanent daylight saving time, which would obscure the invigorating light of dawn, my wake-up routine, along with those of most American workers and students, would become a nightmare.
It’s understandable to crave year-round evening sunshine, whether for sports, family time or simply personal preference. But the so-called Sunshine Protection Act is no bastion of fun or even ease.
Spikes in stroke rates, chronic sleep deprivation and, for students like myself, declining scores, seem steep prices to pay for extra evening rays. In a culture that increasingly prioritizes convenience – like easier driving or later work activities – over health, the best act of rebellion is “sunshine protection” by way of fixed standard time.
But even “springing forward,” while disorienting, is favorable to the risks that the House of Representatives' legislation poses. If we set our clocks in conflict with our bodies, it’s only a matter of time before we experience a public health crisis.
Congress squabbles over sunlight while students suffer
As Congress squabbles over an hour of daylight, students – the future of America – are being left to weather an educational system in shambles.
Before Washington filibusters this comparatively minor issue into oblivion, I’d like to see improvements on the wildly disproportionate counselor-to-student ratio, underfunded teachers, and deteriorating academic performance that will produce an ill-prepared generation of Americans.
Though I am lucky enough to attend a private high school, my lifelong experience navigating public education was rife with mental health struggles caused in part by defunct school infrastructure. Framing permanent daylight saving time as a cure-all is like taking Advil for an open head wound.
— Megan Markus, Florida
This piece was submitted as part of USA TODAY's Forum, a new space for conversation. See what we're talking about at usatoday.com/forum and share your perspective at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: I'm 16. Permanent daylight saving time won't help students. | Your Turn
