For many, the last year might have felt like it flashed by in an instant. It's as if January was just here. However, for children, last year's holiday season can seem like a distant memory from ages ago. This difference in perception isn't just anecdotal; there's a scientific basis for why time seems to speed up as we get older.

Psychologists and neuroscientists have studied how our perception of time changes throughout our lives. Cindy Lustig, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, explains that our sense of time is deeply influenced by our perspective and memory.

"Our perception of days, weeks, years, and that kind of time seems to be especially influenced by our perspective: Are we in the moment experiencing it, or are we looking backward on time?" Lustig notes. This means that how we perceive time can depend on whether we are living through the moment or reflecting on past events.