Socio-Emotional Selectivity Theory

A theory that claims that the perception of time plays a fundamental role in the selection and pursuit of social goals. People’s social motives fall into one of two general categories – those related to the acquisition of knowledge and those related to the regulation of emotions. People’s awareness of the time left in their life and their chronological age leads them to change their social goals. When people feel their time is limited, more social contacts feel superficial and trivial, and they focus more on deepening existing, close ties, making the “right” choices, and pursuing more emotionally meaningful goals.

Reference:

Carstensen, L. L., Isaacowitz, D. M., & Charles, S. T. (1999). Taking time seriously: A theory of socioemotional selectivity. American Psychologist, 54(3), 165-181. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.54.3.165