With the end of 2018 fast approaching, it's a great time to reflect on the year that was, and how many precious hours of your life you lost to YouTube videos.
If you're anything like me, the related videos section is a dangerous place. The sensation of dropping my phone on my own face after passing out from a binge watch bender is one I experience with embarrassing frequency.
If you're not like me, be grateful for that - and simply check out the top 10 videos Kiwis most couldn't get enough of this year.
Warning: Some of the links below contain content that may offend.
New Zealand's Top Trending YouTube Videos of 2018
1. Walmart yodeling kid
Fairly self-explanatory: a kid that got so famous by singing in a supermarket that he went on to play at Coachella.
2. To Our Daughter
Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott had the whole world shooketh with their surprise pregnancy announcement, a cinematic masterpiece they dropped on YouTube after little Stormi was born.
Kim Kardashian dubbed the whole thing "the best kept secret of our generation", and for once, it's hard to argue with her.
3. Real Life Trick Shots 2 | Dude Perfect
Dude Perfect are a group of bros who this year raked in a cool US$20 million, making them the third highest-paid creators on the platform. You might think that's a touch exorbitant, but in this video one of them simultaneously throws four pieces of toast into a toaster from across the room - so really, it's only reasonable.
4. "ROYAL WEDDING" - A Bad Lip Reading
Approximately 1.9 billion people tuned in to the Royal Wedding around the world, which makes it all the more impressive that Meghan managed to get out of that car in that dress without face-planting.
Perhaps because of the lack of slap-stick comedy on the big day, Kiwis were pretty keen to watch an alternative version of the proceedings. The team at Bad Lip Reading had Harry telling Meghan he had bought her a golden unicycle, which to be fair, would have spiced things up substantially.
5. So Sorry
The fallout from arguably the biggest YouTube scandal of the year saw Logan Paul make a solemn, wide-eyed apology for filming the body of a suicide victim, laughing about it, editing it, then uploading the whole thing to make ad revenue off it.
The apology video currently has 2.2 million dislikes and 1.6 million likes, which kind of tells you all you need to know about how it was received.
6. Do You Hear "Yanny" or "Laurel"? (SOLVED with SCIENCE)
It was the tiny little audio clip that divided the internet, frustrated the world and made the blue and gold dress saga seem like child's play.
No wonder, then, that New Zealanders were desperate for an answer, which AsapSCIENCE provided in the form of a three minute video using a whiteboard and a bunch of clever analysis that could put the whole thing to rest.
Friendships were salvaged, students returned to their studies, the world rejoiced.
7. we broke up
YouTube power couple Liza Koshy and David Dobrik announced the end of their almost-annoyingly-cute relationship in an equally so-adorable-it's-irritating video in June.
It was filled with tears, hugs and kind words, which likely had fans of the duo cycling through the stages of grief while persistently hitting the replay button.
8. 15-Year-Old Deadpool 2 Actor Julian Dennison Can't See His Own Movie
One of NZ's proudest Hollywood exports, Julian Dennison, charmed the world with his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel off the back of his role in Deadpool 2.
It was a legendary interview punctuated with a Kiwi as amount of "ehs", but the best bit had to be when Jimmy thought Julian was talking about doing "meth" when he was just referring to his algebra homework.
9. Paul McCartney Carpool Karaoke
Ariana Grande, Christina Aguilera and even Michael Bublé: please, step out of the vehicle.
As far as Kiwis are concerned, 'All You Need Is Love'. Or at the very least, all you need is Paul McCartney driving around Liverpool with James Cordon for 23-minutes of nostalgia and Beatles bangers.
Disclaimer: I'm sorry about the bad reference to a famous Beatles song, but not sorry enough to do anything about it. It's been a long year of liking and subscribing, and I'm exhausted.
10. Courtney Hadwin: 13-Year-Old Golden Buzzer Winning Performance - America's Got Talent 2018
If you can get through this without switching between goosebumps and tears at least seven times, I highly recommend you see a doctor immediately.
Newshub.
