Have you ever wondered why time seems to fly by faster than ever, especially since 2020? You’re not alone. Many people feel like the days are long, but the years are short. In a TikTok video, Thomas Mulligan shared a theory called the “time perception theory,” which suggests that our changing perception of time is to blame. Let’s explore his idea and other psychological insights on why time feels like it’s speeding up.

The Time Perception Theory Explained

Thomas Mulligan’s theory about why time feels like it’s speeding up touches on a psychological principle: as we age, each year represents a smaller fraction of our life.1 When you’re a child, a year feels like an eternity because it makes up a significant portion of your life. By the time you’re 30, one year only accounts for a tiny slice of your existence, which makes it feel shorter.

Mulligan explains: “On your first birthday, one year makes up 100 percent of your life. By your second, one year makes up 50 percent of your life. By the time you turn 20, one year makes up five percent of your life“. This shrinking proportion, he suggests, leads to the sensation that time is moving faster as we grow older.

How Familiarity Affects Time Perception

Psychologists have long noted that our experience of time is influenced by how much new information our brains process. When we encounter new and unfamiliar experiences, time seems to slow down because our minds are busy absorbing and analyzing all the details.2 In contrast, routine and familiarity cause our perception of time to speed up, as there’s less for our brain to process.

According to neuroscientist Santosh Kesari, when we’re children, we’re constantly exposed to new experiences that leave lasting impressions. “We gauge time by memorable events, and fewer new things occur as we age to remember, making it seem like childhood lasted longer,” Kesari explains.3 This aligns with Mulligan’s observation that our perception of time shifts significantly as we grow older.

The Impact of 2020 and the Digital Shift

Many people believe that the events of 2020 played a huge role in distorting our perception of time. The pandemic and lockdowns forced many into a repetitive cycle of remote work and limited social interactions, creating a blur of days that all seemed the same. This sense of being out of touch with the physical world and more immersed in a digital environment contributed to the feeling that the past few years have flown by.

The concept of a “lockdown age” suggests that while the world outside was on pause, our perception of time became skewed. Mulligan’s theory touches on how our immersion in digital spaces, where every day feels much like the last, accelerates the sensation of time passing quickly.