buffer monster

When loading a video on the Internet, this is the figurative monster that prevents you from seeing the entire video as one smooth video. This occurs when your progress in a video "catches up" with the part not yet loaded/buffered and the video is prevented from progressing until the next part loads/buffers.

Usually, the buffer monster gets you when you least expect it to or at the most inconvenient time of the video. Most common forms include the spinning circles, the "dot-dot-dot," and the growing and/or glowing bars. (Note: the buffer monster can also sometimes be invisible.)

To avoid the buffer monster:
1. Let the entire video load before pushing play.
2. Get a faster computer and/or internet connection.