If you grew up before the 1990s, you probably saw plenty of pickup games during the summer months. Today, we just do not see kids playing sport too often, let alone taking the time to get together enough friends for a game of baseball. Although it is likely that technologies like online baseball games for kids have something to do with it, it would be shortsighted to blame this trend on technology or the kids.
While it is rare to see kids playing outside at all these days, it is impossible to pinpoint an exact cause of this phenomenon; because, as with any trend, there are usually multiple factors playing a role. For instance, the world today is a much different place than it was during the 1980’s or earlier. Whether it is legitimate or a symptom of media hype, there is far more suspicion, anxiety, and outright fear pervading American culture today than any time in recent memory.
Today, it is far less common to see kids playing on a property that is not their own than it was years ago. On the other hand, back then kids did not think twice about playing a game in an abandoned lot that was owned by the city or a private individual. These days, likely out of fear of being sued, trespassing is usually forbidden on such properties, and there are plenty of signs indicating such. Of course, you also have to consider the fact that MLB games today are just not popular with kids.
Although old fans of the Great American Pastime do not want to hear this, neither American League Baseball nor National League Baseball is as popular as it once was. Actually, according to the NFL blog, professional football has been more popular than baseball for the past 47 years! And it really is not even close. The popularity of MLB baseball is a distant second to NFL football, as 34 percent of Americans say that NFL Football is their favorite sport, as opposed to the 16 percent who prefer MLB.
Naturally, as the popularity of a sport declines, youth interest decreases right along with it. But that does not mean that parents cannot teach their children to appreciate it, especially with online baseball games for kids. While the real thing is always better, it is far easier to find baseball games online to play than organize enough kids to play live game.