Children perceive time differently from adults, and their understanding of it develops gradually. Research shows that young children tend to experience time as passing slower than adults, particularly in situations like long car rides or waiting for holidays. This may be due to their emotional states, attention spans, and less developed cognitive abilities. They also struggle with understanding the abstract concepts of time, such as past and future, and cannot link the passage of time to its actual duration until later in childhood.

Adults, on the other hand, have a clearer grasp of linear time, aided by their familiarity with clocks and calendars. However, time perception is still influenced by emotions and life experiences for both children and adults. For instance, when adults are stressed or have fewer activities, they feel time dragging, similar to how children experience time as slow during periods of waiting.

Research by psychologists like Teresa McCormack and Zoltán Nádasdy suggests that children’s time perception is tied to their emotional engagement with events. Studies have shown that children tend to perceive fast-paced, exciting activities as longer, while adults do the opposite. Additionally, a person’s ability to judge time improves as they get older and gain more experience with structured routines, like school schedules.

A possible explanation for the perception of time speeding up with age is linked to how our brains process sensory information. As we age, the rate at which we receive sensory input decreases, leading to a feeling of time speeding up. Furthermore, the routines and familiarity of adulthood can make time seem to pass faster, whereas novelty and new experiences in childhood make time feel slower.