Why is the society of Fahrenheit 451 realistic?

There are numerous aspects of the futuristic dystopian society depicted in the novel Fahrenheit 451 that are similar to present-day American society. Bradbury exaggerates common features of American culture throughout the novel which make Fahrenheit 451 seem eerily realistic. Mildred's parlor televisions are exaggerations on the ever increasing size and realistic quality of modern TVs. One could easily see TVs becoming interactive in the future with the way technology has been growing exponentially. Bradbury depicts cars traveling at high speeds throughout the novel, which is already commonplace in today's society. There are roads in Texas where the speed limit is actually 85 mph! Mildred is constantly depicted as being in a trance listening to endless music and commercials via her Seashell earpiece. Wireless headphones are already in production and are continually decreasing in size each year. Mildred is addicted to sleeping pills and even overdoses on them throughout the novel. According to a 2010 study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 4% of adults said they were prescribed sleeping pills. This means that nearly 9 million Americans take medication to sleep.

In the dystopian society, citizens are obsessed with violence, sports, and action. Sports have always been popular throughout America. One of the most violent and popular games in American is football. Over 111.9 million Americans watched the 2016 Super Bowl. The rise of mixed martial arts organizations like UFC and Bellator MMA also depict America's obsession with violence. Gun violence is prevalent throughout American society, and tragic mass shootings seem to happen yearly.

Throughout the novel, Montag's society is involved in several wars and the citizens seem indifferent toward the prevalent violence taking place overseas. Similarly, America has been involved in several wars in the Middle East for decades. There seems to be continual fighting, and American troops have been sent overseas on numerous occasions from Desert Storm to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Bradbury also comments on the commercialization of religion, censorship laws, and the broken political system throughout the novel. These aspects of the dystopian society are commonplace in America today, which makes the novel Fahrenheit 451 seem like a revelation.