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

In addition to what others have said, later in life you have fewer time markers. School years, summer breaks, etc. conveniently mark out time when you’re younger. In later life it’s all one long flow so you don’t notice it passing in the same way.