Must expand on 3: You really have to see the intro videos to strategy in youtube or chesskid. The production value and ability to engage has skyrocketed. Yes

Must expand on 3: You really have to see the intro videos to strategy in youtube or chesskid. The production value and ability to engage has skyrocketed. Yes there was some content on YouTube then... But the material was NOT online 10 years ago. You can easily verify this looking at the ratio of views/years for the more recent videos vs old ones. Top comment was for Gothamchess channel. Check it out. 4: The social element coupled with the ability to "play now" is very important. Until the last 5 or so years, a teen could not put together a similar rated game on demand. Even if you lived near a chessclub. Mobile apps with ELOs have brought the chessclub to the living room. And originally meant to add 5: As downposter said, parents will actively encourage chess, instead of restricting the amount of time on it. No parent will bat an eye if you play 3 hours straight. I wonder if thats because all parents have seen the queens gambit.(?) In retrospect 6: Algorithmic rating : the matching with a similar rated opponent is important since the satisfaction for winning (instead of continued losing) drives engagement.