You might still feel 21 at heart, but life has a funny way of dropping little hints that you’re not as youthful as you once were. Suddenly, young people look impossibly young, your back complains every morning, and you can’t help but wonder why every restaurant insists on blasting such loud music.
Here are 17 subtle (and not-so-subtle) signs that you’re officially aging.
Doctors Are Younger Than You
You realize your doctors and medical professionals are far more fresh-faced than you. They have a pep in their step and use new slang you don’t recognize. It feels like they are kids, but they’ve actually been qualified for some time.
The Young Kids in Your Life Are Suddenly Adults
You find yourself saying, “I remember when you were a baby” to people more often. Young kids in your family and social circle are suddenly not so young anymore and are doing things like going to university, getting jobs, and starting families.
People Start Calling You Ma’am or Sir
People treat you like an “elder,” addressing you as ma’am or sir in settings that aren’t even formal.
Actors You Grew Up Watching Look Older
Kid actors from the shows you used to watch just a few years ago (at least that’s how it feels) now have their own kids. The actors you grew up watching are no longer referred to as heartthrobs, but silver foxes, and those who are your peers have smile lines.
Staying In at Night Is Preferable to Going Out
A bubble bath or homecooked dinner sounds far more enticing on the weekend than a night out on the town, and a late night means going to bed at 10 pm.
Endless Scrolling To Find Your Birthdate On Online Forms
You have to scroll for a long time to find your birth year on those chronological lists of dates on online forms. It feels more like spinning the wheel on a game show.
You Ask Other People to Read Small Text for You
Reading the fine print is a nightmare. You either end up squinting or getting someone else to read it out for you. You say things like, “Why do they make the text so small?!”
People Who Are in Their Twenties Look Like Babies
You see people who you assume are 12 or 16 years old, and then they tell you they’re actually 25.
You Can’t Believe the 1990s Were Three Decades Ago
You remember celebrating Y2K (the year 2000) like it was yesterday, and the 1990s feel like 10 years ago. When someone says we are in the third decade of the 21st century, your jaw drops.
Your Friend Group Changes/Shrinks
You used to have a huge social circle, and finding people to party with was easy. Now, partying isn’t that appealing, and maintaining relationships, even with close friends, requires a lot of effort. Your family is prioritized, friends move away, and your tolerance level for people you don’t click with evaporates.
You Can Throw Out Your Knee Just by Sitting
You can injure yourself just by sitting awkwardly for an hour. Brushing your teeth can result in a trip to the physio therapist, as can a nap without your orthopedic pillow. In fact, you find yourself creaking, popping, and hurting for no reason.
You Have No Clue What Younger People Are Saying
You have no idea what “no cap” or “cottage core” means. Young people say strange things you don’t understand and seem to speak a different language. You can’t believe things like “take a chill pill” and “talk to the hand” are now classified as dated slang.
People Call Your Stuff “Retro”
The fact that you owned a Walkman and recorded stuff on tape brings awe to young faces. These things are like mythical objects from a galaxy far, far away to young people. To you, they were everyday items.
Clothes You Wore When You Were Young Are Back in Fashion
You think, “I had a T-shirt like that when I was 16,” when seeing a Gen-Z sporting a top with Nirvana or The Beatles on it. Mullets are somehow back in style, and women are wearing thrifted bellbottom jeans, calling them “great vintage finds.”
Beauty Sales Assistants Show You the “Mature” Skincare Range
Without asking, store assistants behind the beauty counter tell you about the anti-aging benefits of the latest cream from the “mature” skincare product range. They say things like, “At your age, you’ll want something to smooth out your fine lines.”
Music in Stores Is So Loud
When did they start blaring music so loudly in the stores? And in restaurants? Everywhere you go it seems like the volume is turned up to the max. Surely, it wasn’t always this way?
Everyone Is Attached to Their Smartphone
Everyone you see has their head bowed and eyes glued to their smartphone. Kids, especially, seem to throw tantrums when their devices are taken away from them. Living without screens is a lifestyle that was normal to you, and it’s crazy to think young people have never lived this way. Even if you are also guilty of being glued to your device, it still doesn’t feel 100% natural.
Signs of Aging… or Wisdom?
Feeling old is a mindset more than a number. Though our bodies age and give us more trouble as we get older, in our heads, many of us don’t feel more than 21 years old. Often, we just feel a bit wiser. Those signs that the world is changing can approached with good humor or bitterness. If you choose good humor, chances are you’ll feel forever young.
