Buffered streams are a type of data stream that temporarily store data in memory before it is processed. This technique improves efficiency by reducing the number of read and write operations to the underlying data source, such as a file or network connection. By using a buffer, the system can handle larger chunks of data at once, which speeds up the overall performance. In programming, buffered streams are commonly used in languages like Java and Python. They help manage input and output operations more effectively, especially when dealing with large files or slow data sources. This results in smoother and faster data processing, making applications more responsive.