How does the internet work?

When you tap, your tablet calls out. Because wires and air carry its call. Other computers send pictures back. Then you see them fast.

The internet is many computers joined together. When you tap a video, your tablet sends a little “please send it” message through wires and through the air. Another computer sends the video back, piece by piece. It is like asking a friend for a toy, then getting it passed back to you.

The internet is a huge network, which means lots of computers joined together. When you open a website, your device sends a request to a server, a computer that stores the page. The request is broken into small packets, or chunks of data. Routers, which are traffic helpers, send each packet along the best path through cables, Wi-Fi, and sometimes cell towers. The server sends packets back, and your device puts them in order. Fun fact: much of the internet between countries travels as flashes of light through cables under the sea.