I've not been a regular on the forum for quite some time, and due to other activities I haven't been consistent with my playing either. Then the pandemic started, and I found myself absentmindedly browsing the threads here, only to encounter multiple topics centered around many pool halls and bar tables not surviving as a consequence of covid-19.
But why is that? Not during covid, I mean, but why is the general decline of pool happening all over the world? I've seen a number of posters blaming the changes in lifestyle, like video games, netflix etc. But I don't feel these are direct competitors with pool. Here's why.
Netflix and single player gaming fall into indoor solo activities, together with reading, watching movies and tv, web browsing and so on. They usually lack the social aspect most people need in their lives. Multiplayer gaming, as well as social media, fall into the virtual socialization category, be it over a form of competition or simply through communication.
But the majority of people, including the younger generations, crave real-world socialization as well. If they didn't, bars, night clubs, sport gyms and similar establishments would be dying out as well. This may be the golden age of extreme introverts who truly lack the need to spend time with people, but their number hasn't changed, they only have more options with today's technology. But there are still far more people, introverted or extroverted, who do socialize with each other at least to some degree, either simply by communicating or through activities and competitions. And pool can still be one of those activities.
Even in my area, I haven't seen a lot of empty tables. And many of those players were in fact younger than me. The interest isn't dead. But the fact remains that the tables themselves keep slowly disappearing. It's not about not wanting to play pool, it's more about not being exposed to it in the first place due to the number of places owning the tables shrinking. Even us established pool players have a hard time finding a place with a table of acceptable quality which isn't crowded.
To conclude, it truly does feel like pool is fading into obscurity, but it also feels like it shouldn't be happening. It hasn't "lost the battle with modern activities", because they weren't in the same category in the first place. People still like it and enjoy it, both casuals and serious players. If we just keep the casual player base alive and expanding, some of the more interested and talented ones would naturally rise into more advanced layers of the pool world.
But why is that? Not during covid, I mean, but why is the general decline of pool happening all over the world? I've seen a number of posters blaming the changes in lifestyle, like video games, netflix etc. But I don't feel these are direct competitors with pool. Here's why.
Netflix and single player gaming fall into indoor solo activities, together with reading, watching movies and tv, web browsing and so on. They usually lack the social aspect most people need in their lives. Multiplayer gaming, as well as social media, fall into the virtual socialization category, be it over a form of competition or simply through communication.
But the majority of people, including the younger generations, crave real-world socialization as well. If they didn't, bars, night clubs, sport gyms and similar establishments would be dying out as well. This may be the golden age of extreme introverts who truly lack the need to spend time with people, but their number hasn't changed, they only have more options with today's technology. But there are still far more people, introverted or extroverted, who do socialize with each other at least to some degree, either simply by communicating or through activities and competitions. And pool can still be one of those activities.
Even in my area, I haven't seen a lot of empty tables. And many of those players were in fact younger than me. The interest isn't dead. But the fact remains that the tables themselves keep slowly disappearing. It's not about not wanting to play pool, it's more about not being exposed to it in the first place due to the number of places owning the tables shrinking. Even us established pool players have a hard time finding a place with a table of acceptable quality which isn't crowded.
To conclude, it truly does feel like pool is fading into obscurity, but it also feels like it shouldn't be happening. It hasn't "lost the battle with modern activities", because they weren't in the same category in the first place. People still like it and enjoy it, both casuals and serious players. If we just keep the casual player base alive and expanding, some of the more interested and talented ones would naturally rise into more advanced layers of the pool world.
