TOW#22: Nonfiction Text

In the article entitled “How Virtual Reality Will Change Our Lives” by The Onion, we witness a satirical take on the over exemplified image that modern day technology is given, specifically virtual reality.  Through the development of technology such as the Oculus Rift and Samsung's development of virtual reality headsets, the possibilities that this technology can bring us are often emphasized entirely.  While the technology has the potential to be revolutionary, it is merely a gadget that will be used by the public as a toy rather than a tool.  By listing satirical examples as seen within the article, The Onion utterly solidifies its argument by presenting to its audience what virtually reality is really bound to be.  By saying that tourism “Could very well grind to screeching halt once travelers realize they can experience Liberty Bell from comfort of own living room,” (The Onion 6) the audience sees just how pointless the idea of virtual reality is as a consumer good.  Virtual reality cannot replace our evergoing reality and can merely serve as a source of entertainment.  The assumption that people would rather witness a virtual representation of something as opposed to the real thing is invalid and will never become a reality.  Yes, virtual reality may be useful, however, it cannot replace what we already have and is simply a piece of technology that is being overhyped within the moment due to its uniqueness compared to other consumer goods.  I believe that the Onion does a great job presenting this argument to consumers, representing just exactly what virtual reality and other new forms of technology have to present.