Manti Te’o hoax: Conflict between real and virtual

Just like much of the world was unaware of a genius named Aaron Swartz until he committed suicide, there is a high probability that people are oblivious to a scandal that has rocked college football in a corner of the United States. The Manti Te’o hoax, as it is being treated now, might end up as a feather in the hat of journalism or investigators. It has all the elements of mystery, viz. a boy, a girl, a love story, a tragic death and a rise-against-all-odds ending. It also has a setting unique to make it a Hollywood potboiler – virtual reality. Above all it is the latest, and perhaps the best, example of the growing importance (not just role) of virtual reality in our lives.

But what is the Manti Te’o hoax anyway? That’s a real question. Well, Manti Te’o is a linebacker at the University of Notre Dame from the city of South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana. He is quite famous at the American collegiate football level and, at 21 years, has a promising career at the NFL. However, in spite of all his skills on the field, Manti Te’o would perhaps be best remembered for the hoax that is being described as “one of the strangest stories in decades” by the US media. The Manti Te’o hoax involves the footballer and his “dead girlfriend” Lennay Kekua.

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http://www.newsyaps.com/manti-teo-hoax-conflict-between-real-and-virtual/5186/

img courtesy: usmagazine.com