Initially, because of the book-burning premise, I thought it was going to be a story about censorship (as performed top-down by the government) but the author was very careful to emphasize that it was the general population that gradually brought about Fahrenheit 451's dystopia - the government just helped along what the public already wanted. 
 This book is really about the destruction of self-introspection, self-reflection and deep thought. In the world of Fahrenheit 451, society willingly drowns out introspective thought with shallow distractions - loud noises, spectacle and cheap thrills. 
 Fahrenheit 451 is extraordinarily prescient, considering that it was published in the 50's. Some thoughts on how the dystopian world in Fahrenheit 451 mirrors the present reality: 
 The TV 'family' is just like reality TV - no content or plot - just incessant bickering. 
 Entertainment to cater to short attention spans - 'action' news (Guy Montag's chase by the authorities), simple plots with quick resolutions - I'm reminded of today's action movies with their non-existent plot, and frenetic pace and editing. 
 Stories condensed into bite-sized and digestible pieces - We can already see this in much of our news media. TLDR! 
 Distract the populace with entertainment so that they forget that a war is going on until it is right at their doorstep. 
 Fahrenheit 451 - coming to a society near you!