Eli5: Why, if at all, does it seem like the years go quicker as you get older?

Question

I hear a lot of people making that remark, that the years go by quicker as you get older.
For me, at least, it seems like that’s only the case if nothing much changes in my life in that year.
To me, years seem to feel like they go slower if there’s lots of new/different things happening.

In: 348

Answer 1

I think it has to do with time ratios. When you are ten a year is 10% of your life. When you are 50 a year is 2% if my math ain’t wrong. The older you get, the smaller the ratio. That’s why summers seem so long as a little kid.