Changing clocks twice a year is a tradition for most people living in the United States, with the spring transition to daylight saving time raising the ire of many due to the loss of an hour of sleep.
Public policy makers are grappling with the question of whether to abolish the biannual time change and, if so, whether to make standard time or daylight saving time permanent. While sleep scientists call for year-round standard time because it best aligns with humans’ circadian rhythms, many retailers and outdoor industries support permanent daylight saving time, arguing that longer sunlight in the evenings supports their business. It is thus crucial to further illuminate the consequences of the current policy to better inform policy makers, managers, and consumers.
In a new Journal of Marketing study, we explore whether the onset of daylight saving time leads consumers to engage in unhealthy behaviors. Are there contextual and individual moderating factors that might amplify the potential deleterious consequences of switching to daylight saving time?
We examined social media data from X (formerly Twitter) to study consumer responses to the onset of daylight saving time. We find that the number of tweets with keywords related to the disruptive nature of the switch to daylight saving time peaked around 12 hours after the change occurred. We also find that the volume of negatively toned tweets rose more substantially, indicating a stronger increase in negative sentiment toward the time change. Overall, our preliminary findings suggest that consumers respond negatively to the switch to daylight saving time.
Snack Consumption and Fitness Center Visits
Next, we examine two unique disaggregate level datasets that capture two different consumer behaviors: snack consumption and fitness center visits. The first dataset captures consumers’ real-time snack consumption in their natural environments, while the second dataset tracks the attendance records of customers visiting fitness centers. For understanding consumer behavior following the onset of daylight saving time, we compare consumers’ calorie consumption from packaged snacks and visits to fitness centers across two customer groups: those who are affected by the onset of daylight saving time (the treatment group) and those who are not affected by the onset of daylight saving time (the control group), before and after the onset of daylight saving time.
We find that:
- calorie consumption from largely unhealthy snacks increases following the time change and
- visits to fitness centers decrease.
The effect on calorie consumption is amplified during the evening hours and for cloudy days. Further, visits to fitness centers are reduced among fitness center members who live farther away and who do not visit the fitness centers regularly. Finally, we also examine the effect of the transition from daylight saving time to standard time (during fall) and find that there is no effect of the fall transition on calories consumed from unhealthy snacks. Our results highlight the role of sleepiness caused by the one-hour setback, which impairs consumers’ self-control and leads to less healthy consumption behavior.
Lessons for Public Policy Makers
Our study indicates that the onset of daylight saving time is an obstacle to consumers’ health goals, suggesting that policy makers should continue trying to end the time changes. Further, from a consumer well-being perspective, public health campaigns promoting healthy eating and exercise might be especially necessary around the time change.
“Our study indicates that the onset of daylight saving time is an obstacle to consumers’ health goals, suggesting that policy makers should continue trying to end the time changes.”
Lessons for Consumers
We suggest that consumers follow self-control strategies such as avoiding stocking up on unhealthy snacks before the time change. Conversely, fitness center members might plan activities close to the center to reduce the effort required to visit it following the time change. Consumers vulnerable to self-control failures might also seek support from peers (e.g., online social networks) and platforms incentivizing healthy behavior (e.g., through gamification).
Novel technologies, such as smart circadian lighting systems, might also help consumers reset their circadian clocks in a less disruptive fashion. Apps originally designed for travelers to reduce jet lag can be used to minimize the effect of the time change.
Lessons for Chief Marketing Officers
Firms involved in health-related industries can use the insights from the study to anticipate demand and to better serve their customers around the onset of daylight saving time. For instance, when daylight saving time starts, fitness centers could offer promotions like free coffee or a competition or event to bring people in and counter their tendency to skip exercising.
Overall, policy makers, consumers, and firms can benefit from our study by anticipating the likelihood with which people will be thrown off course due to the disruption caused by the time change and discussing steps that might be taken by stakeholders to mitigate the negative consequences.
Read the Full Study for Complete Details
Source: Ramkumar Janakiraman, Harsha Kamatham, Sven Feurer, Rishika Rishika, Bhavna Phogaat, and Marina Girju, “Spring Forward = Fall Back? The Effect of Daylight Saving Time Change on Consumers’ Unhealthy Behavior,” Journal of Marketing.
Go to the Journal of Marketing
Ramkumar Janakiraman is Professor of Marketing Analytics, North Carolina State University, USA.
Harsha Kamatham is Assistant Professor of Marketing and F. Ross Johnson Fellow, University of Manitoba, Canada.
Sven Feurer is Professor of Marketing, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland.
Rishika Rishika is Associate Professor of Marketing, North Carolina State University, USA.
Bhavna Phogaat is a doctoral student in marketing, University of South Carolina, USA.
Marina Girju is Associate Professor of Marketing, California Baptist University, USA.