By the time you’re 21, half of your psychological life is over.
Humans’ perception of time is shaped by a complex interplay of neurotransmitters in the brain, namely, dopamine. Released in response to excitement and novelty, dopamine slows our sense of time, which is why childhood felt expansive. Road trips seemed endless, summer vacations stretched on forever, and each new school year felt like the beginning of a new decade.
In contrast, life at university feels compressed: a four-month summer semester vanishes in a blink, and the years since first year have passed so quickly that graduation feels impossibly close.
The human body doesn’t perceive time the way it does sight or feel; instead, time’s a constructed phenomenon, measured through arbitrary units like minutes, hours, and years. The human brain experiences time logarithmically, which is why neurotransmitters play such a powerful role in shaping how time feels—and why it seems to accelerate as we grow older.
The idea that half of one’s life perception might’ve passed them by is daunting to say the least. Yet, just as easily as time can be tricked into speeding up, it can be tricked into slowing down.
A major reason why time seems to accelerate with age is that routines replace novelty. The dopamine rush sparked by new experiences fades as people settle into familiar patterns—careers, daily habits, predictable schedules. Without a steady influx of new stimuli, days begin to blur together, making each one feel shorter as the years slip by.
Humans may be creatures of habit, but breaking routine is essential if we want to experience life to the fullest. So, go on a trip, strike up a conversation with a stranger on the bus, and don’t be afraid to make a career change or switch majors.
New experiences force us to slow down and notice our lives, instead of being swept along by routine. The changes don’t have to be dramatic; taking a new route to class can be just as impactful as learning a new language. What matters is trying new things and stepping outside of the familiar to engage in challenging cognitive tasks that have the potential to slow the sense of time.
To genuinely live each day to the fullest, one has to take their psychological perception of time seriously.
In the wake of the Great Depression, a deep yearning for stability pushed young adults to buy houses and commit to families and careers in their late teens and early twenties. Intimidated by widespread unemployment and financial insecurity, marriage and home ownership were increasingly appealing in the post-depression era. Though understandable, this pursuit of security sparked a trend that has since led to a dramatic decrease in humans’ psychological lifespan.
In today’s digital age, screens offer a quick hit of dopamine, satisfying the neurotransmitter craving without accumulating any meaningful life experiences. The challenge lies in how we choose to respond to those cravings by seeking out new experiences and expanding our cognitive capacity, rather than numbing ourselves with a 15-second TikTok or Instagram post.
Hidden behind the screen, Gen Z makes fewer friends and has experienced a noticeable decline in hobbies and recreational interests—all factors that influence psychological lifespan.
Humans are an amalgamation of their experiences; without new ones, you risk decreasing the experience of time itself. While time can’t be stopped, we can influence our perception of it, which is why it’s so important to take our psychological lifespan seriously.
So, for anyone who might’ve just started their undergrad or is about to graduate and enter a new chapter of life, don’t let these new experiences scare you. Embrace the opportunity to experience something new and increase your cerebral perception of life itself.
Tags
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to eic@queensjournal.ca.