why is chess...

the ancient beautiful game of war, strategy and tactics.. the ultimate struggle between two intellects.. not so popular these days?

It takes 5mins to learn the rules, but a lifetime is not enough to master it.. unlike modern games which we throw away after a few months.

Its dirt cheap to play, you can play anywhere, its highly addictive, an adrenaline rush (you need to play some serious games in a tournament to understand why this is the case), etc

So my question is why is it not popular?

Chess requires patience and planning, things I find missing in most people under 30. They grew up with tv, video games, and worst of all... the internet. Parents are too busy working, trying to pay for everything, and they don't have time to teach or play with their children.
My father wouldn't allow a tv in his house until the 80's. I learned to play chess before I went to school. Now it's hard to find anyone who has the time for a game. Maybe when I retire...

Chess takes time and you need to use your brain. Young people today are not interested in something that can take a long time to play.

I used to play at school and it was quite popular then.

I'm in my early 20's and I've found that my friends are just finally starting to get into it. They think I'm some kind of god even though I'm a rank amateur at best.

It's a sad thing really. Nothing interests young people unless it has A. Great graphics B. 3d or C. Great graphics with 3d.

High def 3d chess however, just feels wrong...

Chess doesn't offer instant gratification unlike the video games, perhaps thats a factor?