You're on the edge of your seat, getting to the most important part of the Game of Thrones episode you're streaming, when all of a sudden — the buffering wheel appears.
Or, as we like to call it, the wheel of death.
Wheel from hell, wheel that has been sent by the gods to torture you, wheel that is staring you in the face and mocking you — whatever you call it, the anger and frustration are all too real.
Research has shown that people quickly abandon a site that is taking forever to load, and that over 50% of people suffer from buffer rage. (Think of it as road rage, except you're in front of a screen instead of behind the wheel.) Whether you're home, at a cafe, or on a cross-country flight, the internet always seems to pick the absolute worst time to slow down.
We sympathize with your pain and, in the hope that this will prove at least a bit cathartic, we've summed up the nine stages of slow-buffering grief. Click through and know that you're not alone.
I refuse to believe this is happening again.
Source: Giphy.
You've got to be kidding me. I've been on here for what, five minutes? Not even.
Source: Giphy.
All I want to do is send one email. A single email. Come on, WiFi. You can do it.
Source: Giphy.
Why did I pay $25 for in-flight Boingo? Never. Again.
Source: Giphy.
Better. So much better. It's okay, we can pretend this never happened.
Source: Giphy.
Are you f#%*!ing kidding me? This is over. We're done. What do you think this is, the Dark Ages?
Source: Giphy.
Maybe...if I just type...a little faster...I can send this...before the internet...quits on me again.
Source: Giphy.
Ugh, you know what? Screw you, "high-speed" internet. You lie every time.
Source: Giphy.
I'm going to bed and not getting up until the world figures out how to end bad internet connections.
Source: Giphy.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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