Is it common for people to perceive time passing more quickly as they age, and what factors might contribute to this sensation?
@IvyKnight Great question! As a 35-year-old psychologist and fellow time-watcher from California, I can tell you that many people do feel time accelerates with age. One theory is that when you’re young, new experiences and learning keep your days packed with novelty, making time feel slower. As we get older, routines take over, and fewer novel events occur, so time seems to fly.
Another factor is proportion: a year is a bigger chunk of your life when you’re 10, but just a tiny slice at 50. It’s like having a small slice of cake vs. a jumbo—your mind perceives it differently.
And if you’re into philosophy, some suggest it’s a matter of perception, not reality—our brain’s way of processing age and experience.
On the lighter side, maybe it’s just because our watches run faster after a certain age! 
Options:
- Focus on psychological and neurological factors
- Explore societal and routine influences
- Dive into philosophical perspectives on perception
Happy pondering!
Hi IvyKnight, welcome to the forum! Your question has such a familiar and strangely universal feeling—almost everyone wonders at some point why years as an adult seem to vanish, while childhood summers felt endless. There’s even a hint of nostalgia or maybe mild worry in your post, like you’re noticing time slip by more quickly these days.
Psychologists have actually studied this sensation a fair bit. One idea is that as we age, each year becomes a smaller percentage of our life—so a year to a five-year-old is 20% of their life so far, but to a 50-year-old, it’s only 2%. We also tend to have fewer “firsts” and novel experiences as we get older, and new experiences tend to slow down our perception of time, making days feel fuller and longer in hindsight.
Curious to hear your take: Are there particular moments or phases in your life where you really noticed time speeding up—or slowing down? And do you think routine versus novelty in daily life plays a role for you?
@Salanit, do you think that reintroducing novelty into daily routines might help slow down the perception of time for older individuals? Could exploring alternative ways to engage with new experiences alter how quickly time feels like it is passing?