Time flies by much faster as we get older, and now we know why

Have you ever looked back and felt like the years just vanished overnight? You’re not the only one. Many of us notice that as we age, our perception of time changes.

Days and years seem to speed by, leaving us wondering what changed. Is it just our busy lives, or is there something deeper happening in our brains?

Scientists are diving into this age-old mystery to uncover why time feels like it’s racing against us.

Human perception of time

From changes in how our minds process information to the routines that shape our daily lives, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes.

Adrian Bejan, a researcher at Duke University with decades of experience, offers a fascinating perspective on this phenomenon.

He suggests that our perception of time changes due to physical alterations in our brains and bodies as we age.

But let’s unpack this idea step by step. Why do some days feel longer or shorter than others? And why does time seem to fly by as we get older?

“Clock time” vs. “mind time”

According to Bejan, there’s a distinction between measurable clock time and the time perceived by our minds.

He explains, “The measurable ‘clock time’ is not the same as the time perceived by the human mind. The ‘mind time’ is a sequence of images, i.e., reflections of nature that are fed by stimuli from sensory organs.”

In simpler terms, our brains process a series of mental images based on what we see, hear, and experience.

When we’re young, our brains receive and process these images more rapidly. As we age, this processing slows down due to physical changes like the degradation of neural pathways.

Why some days feel longer

Have you noticed that days filled with new experiences or productivity seem longer? That’s because your mind is processing more information and creating more mental images.

When you’re well-rested, your brain operates more efficiently, allowing you to take in more of the world around you.

Think about athletes who perform best when they’re rested. “Lack of rest makes you miss plays, unable to anticipate, unable to see the ball before it arrives,” Bejan notes.

The same goes for students taking exams; a well-rested mind can work through problems more thoroughly, making the exam period feel longer.

Perception of time based on routine

Cindy Lustig, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, offers another angle. She points out that as we age, our lives often become more routine.

“When we are older, we tend to have lives that are more structured around routines, and fewer of the big landmark events that we use to demarcate different epochs of the ‘time of our lives,’” says Lustig.

With fewer new experiences, our brains lump similar days and weeks together. This can make time feel like it’s passing more quickly because there are fewer memorable events to distinguish one period from another.

Social media’s impact on time perception

In today’s digital age, excessive use of social media can also distort our sense of time. When we dive into our favorite apps, we’re met with an endless stream of posts, videos, and updates that continuously stimulate our senses.

This constant engagement can make minutes turn into hours without us noticing. The design of these platforms often encourages prolonged usage through features like infinite scrolling and autoplay videos, which can trap us in a loop where we lose track of how much time has actually passed.

Moreover, excessive use of social media can lead to sleep deprivation, especially when we stay up late scrolling through our feeds.

Lack of adequate sleep affects our cognitive functions, making it harder for us to process information efficiently. This can further alter our perception of time, making days feel shorter and less memorable.

Physical changes in the aging brain

Bejan emphasizes that physical changes in our brains contribute significantly to this altered perception.

“The rate at which changes in mental images are perceived decreases with age because of several physical features that change with age: saccades frequency, body size, pathways degradation, etc.,” he explains.

As our neural pathways degrade over time, our brains take longer to process new information.

This slower processing speed means we’re generating fewer mental images in the same amount of clock time, making time seem to pass faster.

Friendly debate among experts

While Bejan’s theory is compelling, Lustig isn’t entirely convinced it tells the whole story.

She challenges some of his points, especially regarding physical changes like head size affecting perception.

“He makes some argument about the length of the optic nerve related to head size, and I will let you judge whether an 80-year-old has a substantially larger head than a 25-year-old,” Lustig remarks.

What’s really going on with time?

The truth might be a blend of both perspectives. Our perception of time likely changes due to a combination of physical changes in our brains and the way we experience life as we age.

With fewer novel experiences and a slower processing speed, time seems to accelerate.

But here’s something to ponder: Can we slow down our perception of time by actively seeking new experiences and staying mentally engaged? It’s worth considering.

Perhaps the key lies in mindfulness and breaking out of routines. By introducing variety into our lives and challenging our minds, we might recapture that youthful sense of time stretching out before us.

Have you tried picking up a new hobby or exploring a new place recently? How did it affect your perception of time?

Time, perception, and the human experience

To sum it all up, our sense that time speeds up as we age seems to stem from both physical changes in our brains and the routines we fall into over the years.

As we get older, our brains process new information more slowly due to the degradation of neural pathways.

This slower processing means we perceive fewer mental images in the same amount of clock time, making days and years feel like they pass more quickly.

Meanwhile, as we get older, we tend to have more structured lives filled with routines and fewer novel experiences.

This lack of new events makes it harder for our brains to distinguish one day from the next, contributing to the sensation that time is slipping away.

While scientists like Bejan and Lustig continue to explore this intriguing topic, one thing is clear: our perception of time is deeply personal and influenced by many factors.

By actively seeking new experiences and staying mentally engaged, we might just slow down our perception of time and make each moment count a little more.

The full study was published in the journal European Review.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–