At the age of 25, Mira runs a successful digital marketing startup, manages international clients, and leads a team of five.
A typical day at work involves analysing global market trends, crafting strategies for Fortune 500 companies, and making decisions that affect her employees' livelihoods.
In these moments, she feels like she's 45 – seasoned, experienced, and carrying responsibilities typically associated with senior professionals.
Yet on the same evening, you might find her spending hours creating playful TikTok content, anxiously seeking validation through social media likes, or feeling overwhelmed by basic "adulting" tasks like scheduling a doctor's appointment.
In these moments, she feels more like a teenager, despite being a successful business owner.
This stark contrast isn't unique to Mira.
It represents a fascinating phenomenon that psychologists have been studying for decades - the disconnect between chronological age and "felt age."
Age is just a number
A 2006 study published in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review by researchers David C. Rubin and Dorthe Berntsen analysed this phenomenon across 1,470 adults between ages 20 and 97.
Their findings revealed a consistent pattern: while those over 25 typically feel younger than their chronological age, younger individuals often feel older.
Nearly two decades later, this age paradox hasn't just persisted – it's intensified, particularly among Gen Z.
"For Gen Z, growing up with advanced technology has accelerated their exposure to global issues, social expectations, and adult responsibilities," said Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris associate professor Dr Fauziah Mohd Saad, a psychology and counselling expert.
"This early exposure fosters a heightened sense of maturity and independence, leading them to feel older than they are."
Living two lives at once
What makes Gen Z's experience unique is what Dr Fauziah calls "digital duality" – the ability to simultaneously navigate mature professional spaces and youthful social environments.
A 2023 Pew Research survey illustrated this complexity: while 95% of teens have smartphones and nearly half reported being online "almost constantly," their digital personas shift dramatically across platforms.
They may maintain a professional LinkedIn presence while spending hours on TikTok, with 17 per cent of them reported "almost constant" engagement.
Meanwhile, the original Rubin-Berntsen study identified 25 as the "attractor age" – the point where people's perceived age crosses over from feeling older to feeling younger.
Counting the cost
Dr Fauziah suggested this threshold might be shifting for Gen Z.
"Balancing online activism with personal identity and managing digital relationships may give the impression of being 'ahead' in life.
"Yet, the discrepancy between perceived knowledge and life experience often creates tension between feeling older mentally and less equipped in practical ways," she said.
The mental health implications of this age paradox are significant.
Dr Fauziah observed that higher anxiety levels and increased mental health literacy affect how Gen Z perceives their age.
"The responsibility of managing one's well-being and an expanded emotional vocabulary can foster a sense of being 'older than their years,'" she said.
Stressed at a young age
This observation aligned with recent American Psychological Association (2023) data showing Gen Z having the highest stress levels among all generations, particularly around global issues and future uncertainty.
Traditional markers of adulthood are being redefined through this lens.
While previous generations measured maturity through marriage, homeownership, or career stability, Gen Z often gauges it through personal development, digital literacy and global awareness.
Dr Fauziah said social media complicates this further.
"Adulting' content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram romanticises mundane responsibilities, making adulthood seem simultaneously more accessible and more daunting.
As we continue to understand this phenomenon, one thing becomes clear: the relationship between chronological age and felt age is evolving into something entirely new for Gen Z.
Their experiences suggest that, in our rapidly changing digital world, measuring maturity solely by years may soon become obsolete.
After all, when a 25-year-old startup founder can feel both young and old at the same time, it might be time to rethink how we understand age and identity altogether.
A typical day at work involves analysing global market trends, crafting strategies for Fortune 500 companies, and making decisions that affect her employees' livelihoods.
In these moments, she feels like she's 45 – seasoned, experienced, and carrying responsibilities typically associated with senior professionals.
Yet on the same evening, you might find her spending hours creating playful TikTok content, anxiously seeking validation through social media likes, or feeling overwhelmed by basic "adulting" tasks like scheduling a doctor's appointment.
In these moments, she feels more like a teenager, despite being a successful business owner.
This stark contrast isn't unique to Mira.
It represents a fascinating phenomenon that psychologists have been studying for decades - the disconnect between chronological age and "felt age."
Age is just a number
A 2006 study published in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review by researchers David C. Rubin and Dorthe Berntsen analysed this phenomenon across 1,470 adults between ages 20 and 97.
Their findings revealed a consistent pattern: while those over 25 typically feel younger than their chronological age, younger individuals often feel older.
Nearly two decades later, this age paradox hasn't just persisted – it's intensified, particularly among Gen Z.
"For Gen Z, growing up with advanced technology has accelerated their exposure to global issues, social expectations, and adult responsibilities," said Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris associate professor Dr Fauziah Mohd Saad, a psychology and counselling expert.
"This early exposure fosters a heightened sense of maturity and independence, leading them to feel older than they are."
Living two lives at once
What makes Gen Z's experience unique is what Dr Fauziah calls "digital duality" – the ability to simultaneously navigate mature professional spaces and youthful social environments.
A 2023 Pew Research survey illustrated this complexity: while 95% of teens have smartphones and nearly half reported being online "almost constantly," their digital personas shift dramatically across platforms.
They may maintain a professional LinkedIn presence while spending hours on TikTok, with 17 per cent of them reported "almost constant" engagement.
Meanwhile, the original Rubin-Berntsen study identified 25 as the "attractor age" – the point where people's perceived age crosses over from feeling older to feeling younger.
Counting the cost
Dr Fauziah suggested this threshold might be shifting for Gen Z.
"Balancing online activism with personal identity and managing digital relationships may give the impression of being 'ahead' in life.
"Yet, the discrepancy between perceived knowledge and life experience often creates tension between feeling older mentally and less equipped in practical ways," she said.
The mental health implications of this age paradox are significant.
Dr Fauziah observed that higher anxiety levels and increased mental health literacy affect how Gen Z perceives their age.
"The responsibility of managing one's well-being and an expanded emotional vocabulary can foster a sense of being 'older than their years,'" she said.
Stressed at a young age
This observation aligned with recent American Psychological Association (2023) data showing Gen Z having the highest stress levels among all generations, particularly around global issues and future uncertainty.
Traditional markers of adulthood are being redefined through this lens.
While previous generations measured maturity through marriage, homeownership, or career stability, Gen Z often gauges it through personal development, digital literacy and global awareness.
Dr Fauziah said social media complicates this further.
"Adulting' content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram romanticises mundane responsibilities, making adulthood seem simultaneously more accessible and more daunting.
As we continue to understand this phenomenon, one thing becomes clear: the relationship between chronological age and felt age is evolving into something entirely new for Gen Z.
Their experiences suggest that, in our rapidly changing digital world, measuring maturity solely by years may soon become obsolete.
After all, when a 25-year-old startup founder can feel both young and old at the same time, it might be time to rethink how we understand age and identity altogether.