Hoverbored?

Hoverboards aren’t worth the money or time

Daniel Gagliano and Erin Schilling

Valen Yeager, Staff writer
February 9, 2016

When I first heard of hoverboards, I immediately pictured one of the futuristic gadgets from “Back to the Future,” a sci-fi movie that is about time travel. I imagined Marty McFly gliding over the sidewalk on his revolutionary hoverboard, a dream many would like to see come true.   Unfortunately, the hoverboards currently taking the country by storm leave a lot to be desired.

Let’s clarify one thing: modern hoverboards have wheels. That’s right, these “hoverboards” don’t actually hover. Sorry Marty, your dream for future transportation never got off the ground.

“

…your dream for future transportation never got off the ground.

— Valen Yeager

According to USA Today, hoverboards were one of the most popular and “hottest” Christmas gifts. These bipedal self-balancing scooter boards rose to popularity near the end of 2015, particularly among teens.

Many celebrities, including world-champion boxer Mike Tyson, have posted videos of themselves riding hoverboards with the occasional hoverboard malfunction, but the camera doesn’t always capture the hazards and injuries behind the fun and games of hoverboard usage. Despite all of their recent adoration, hoverboards have also been having trouble with malfunctions, defects and counterfeits.

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Hoverboards are known to have battery fires. According to National Public Radio, it is because of a new manufacturing process that increases their chance of combustion. Many major airlines, college campuses and other public venues have banned them because of this danger. According to CNN, they have also been banned in New York City and all of the United Kingdom.

There has also been a huge problem with the attempted sale of counterfeit hoverboards in the U.S. According to the Chicago Tribune, customs officials at the Chicago O’Hare Airport have seized more than 16,000 counterfeit hoverboards worth $6 million. But when it comes down to it, hoverboards are a waste of money, counterfeit or not.

The price of the hoverboard really depends on quality, brand and the device’s top speed. The price can range from $100-500. Hoverboards are overpriced and hardly go faster than someone walking. They are just a fad that will be over within the year. People started to invest in them because they seemed futuristic, but really, they aren’t that incredible. They’ll soon fade away in the face of the next big tech trend.

The reality is that hoverboards are not worth the money, especially with all of the risks that they pose. They are just a passing craze, and before you know it, there will be another cool invention out for sale. Consumers’ hard-earned money is better spent on more practical and enduring products.