Why Summers Felt Endless When You Were a Kid

You Should Know: Pumpkin spice is back, leaves are changing, and it’s finally time to break out that fall sweater buried in the closet. Summer is officially over, and if you’re like us, it felt like it went by way too fast. And if the years seem to increasingly fly by the older you get, it’s not just your imagination. We humans really do perceive time differently as we age, and there’s a scientific reason for it. 

Going Deeper: When we’re kids, summers seem to stretch out endlessly, a never-ending season of fun and freedom. As adults, summers are fleeting and bookended by responsibility. Why the stark difference? For one, just about everything is novel and exciting to children. The brain is developing rapidly, and novel experiences cement themselves into memory more than mundane, routine ones. Second, as a 5-year-old, one year is one-fifth of your life. As a 50-year-old, one year is one-fiftieth of your life. Some experts propose that this disproportion can explain why childhood summers felt so impactful. 

Takeaway: When you look back on your life and feel like summers were longer and more exciting than they are now, it may be part nostalgia — but also part science.  

Bottom Line: Everything is new and fun as a child, which seems to stretch time. As adults, it’s up to us to inject that novelty into our lives to create meaningful experiences.