Do you ever have those days where you don’t feel like moving? For crying out loud, this is the 21st Century, so why do I still have to use my legs!? As you ponder the idea of hiring a personal butler to carry you around or perhaps stealing a shopping scooter from Wal-Mart, you remember something you saw online: hoverboards.

Hoverboards hit the market last year and everyone lost their minds. People are talking about them either because these no-hand Segways are so cool and futuristic, or because they’re catching on fire. Either way, this invention is the solution to your problem of how to get across the room using the least amount of energy possible.

These so-called “hoverboards” are self-balancing two-wheeled boards. They’ve been advertised as hoverboards to evoke the idea of flying boards featured in movies such as “Back to the Future Part II.” This misnomer has caused many to write-off the boards as overrated and nothing close to a real hoverboard. But really, “self-balancing, two-wheeled board” is too much of a mouthful.

Because of all the hype, parents across America have opened their wallets and gotten their teens the gift for Christmas, and some of these teens are North Atlanta students. Sam Ferguson, freshman, loves his new hoverboard and disagrees with the criticisms about the safety hazards. “I think the whole exploding hoverboard thing is too exaggerated,” he said. “Mine is just fine. It’s just a fun thing to play with.”

While many happy customers would agree with Ferguson, it is important to address the issues. The board contains a high power lithium ion battery which can catch on fire if it overheats. The rare phenomenon of hoverboards exploding and catching fire has prompted hoverboard bans on college campuses, planes that carry mail, and major passenger planes.

However, chemical engineers from Stanford University have developed a new battery that can automatically shut off before it overheats. Although, the technology is not yet being sold commercially, it does show potential to help other battery-powered devices including the cellphones we use today.

One person who jokingly said she can’t wait until it catches on fire is freshman Caroline Partlowe. She sleeps one room below her sister, who is constantly rolling around on her hoverboard. “It may be annoying now, but it does get you wondering about what they’re going to think up next,” she said.

Whether you believe that the device will bring about the downfall of society or it’s just a cool gadget to play with, there’s no denying that it represents a new reality of our future. The kinds of products we will soon daily utilize are being cultivated in the minds and labs of the world’s most creative people, and it could be the classmate sitting right next to you.