Why Time Seems to Go By Faster

Although the definition of time may be much more complex, it can be considered a valuable resource that allows us to do an incalculable amount of things throughout our lives. Because of this, we may wonder why it sometimes appears to speed up in certain situations or life stages.

5-Minute Crafts will explain what time is and the reasons why it seems to go by faster.

What time is

It’s possible that we don’t think about time so often. However, it shapes our routines, making it a significant part of our day.

In simple terms, time can be defined as a measurable or measured period in which an event, process, or condition occurs or continues. It can also be understood as a period when an action takes place.

Why it seems to go by faster

1. Time passes more quickly when we’re having fun.

We may perceive that time goes by more quickly when our internal clocks slow down due to an increased amount of dopamine in our brains. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that takes part in making us feel alert, focused, motivated, and happy.

This means that if you do things that you actually find enjoyable, the passage of time could be underestimated, leading to the perception that time is moving faster.

2. The perception of time changes as we age.

It has been proven that time is relative, as it can depend on the observer rather than being a constant for everyone.

Furthermore, as we get older, certain human processes can make time seem like it is passing by more quickly. The theory states that, over time, we process visual information at a slower rate, making time speed up as we grow older. If we focus on visual perception, slower processing times lead to perceiving fewer images per second, which means that more actual time passes between the perception of each new mental frame.

When we’re younger, each second is full of many more mental images, just like a slow-motion camera, which can get thousands of frames per second, making time seem to go by more slowly.