For the younger generation at least, there's a few things it can't live without - in particular access to the likes of WhatsApp, Netflix and YouTube.
So what happens when one of those is taken away? Like a toy being taken away from a child, there's a meltdown.
Last night YouTube went down for more than an hour, affecting locations around the world.
The company acknowledged the outage in a tweet, confirming that YouTube, YouTube TV and YouTube Music were having access issues.
Thanks for your reports about YouTube, YouTube TV and YouTube Music access issues. We're working on resolving this and will let you know once fixed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and will keep you updated.
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) October 17, 2018
A further tweet was sent out thanking users for their patience and informing them that services had been restored, although it did not reveal what the problem was.
We're back! Thanks for all of your patience. If you continue to experience issues, please let us know. https://t.co/NVU5GP7Sy6
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) October 17, 2018
During the time it went offline, regular users of YouTube made it clear on social media that they were at a loss with what to do with themselves, while some took the opportunity to make light of the situation, including Philadelphia Police in the United States, which jokingly - or not, reminded resident this is not an emergency.
Yes, our @YouTube is down, too. No, please don't call 911 - we can't fix it.
— Philadelphia Police (@PhillyPolice) October 17, 2018
It then let local residents know when the "national nightmare" was over and likened the experience to "Beatlemania and Fortnite" rolled into one.
.. Aaaand, we fixed it. Our long national nightmare is over. Turns out it was just too many people. trying to access the Philly Police @YouTube page all at once. We know it's like Beatlemania and Fortnite rolled into one, but moderation is key. Goodnight and stay safe.
— Philadelphia Police (@PhillyPolice) October 17, 2018
Disney meanwhile saw a chance for a marketing plug for its forthcoming movie Ralph Breaks The Internet, saying "It wasn't us" that broke YouTube.
It wasn't us 😅 #YouTubeDown. Disney's #RalphBreaksTheInternet coming to cinemas November 21. Learn more: https://t.co/w4OaTY3zS0 pic.twitter.com/CWivGo5MJ2
— Disney Studios Philippines (@DisneyStudiosPH) October 17, 2018
And there were thousands of others making light of the situation.
YouTube was founded in 2005 and was bought by Google in 2006. It says its mission is to "give everyone a voice and show them the world".
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