Quoted from ThePinballCo-op:

I love pinball now, but I HATED it as a kid and teenager. I'd often frequent my local bowling alley, which had an arcade of maybe 20 machines. Most were video games, about 4 were pinball machines. I'd put a few quarters in a pin (High Speed) and drain almost immediately. I didn't know how to play, didn't know where the points were, and only wanted to hit stuff to see the lights and sounds. I couldn't keep the ball alive long enough to even do that. Maybe I wasn't coordinated enough as a kid? I hated it. I stuck to the video games. They were constant action and I didn't need to think, I just needed to react. No learning required.
Fast forward 15 years: I find myself in front of another pinball machine (Ripley's Believe It Or Not). I was able to keep the ball alive and hit stuff. I was required to think and analyze, and use my coordination to hit the intended shots. I had a specific plan in place and executed it to the best of my ability. I learned bumping and nudging over time, and all the other nuances and tricks that come along with pinball, and I'm still learning them to this day. It's a constant learning experience and I enjoy it greatly.
Point is, I think kids aren't interested in pinball because being good requires a thought process, knowledge, and skill. All of this requires time and effort. Kids' brains haven't developed their frontal lobes enough to be interested in things that require such things (the majority of kids, anyway). Some do, most don't. We've all been this way. How many of us had a love of learning as a kid? How many of us have a love of learning today? I'll bet it's close to the same for all of us. As we've grown older, we've taking a liking to the challenging things in life, the ones that require time, effort, skill, thought, etc.
Pinball won't die. In fact, with the increase in video games such as zen pinball and pinball arcade, the younger generation will be more inclined to join the hobby as an adult. They will be more familiar with it, and therefore won't be afraid to attempt it when the moment arises.
My 2 cents.

Quoted from Phat_Jay:

I miss the ww2 generation. Those guys and gals were truly great.

Quoted from Dom1:

I guess it depends on how you see pinball dying. I don't believe younger generations will fork out the money to buy machines but will play one when given the opportunity. Machines are just way too exspensive compared to a $60 video game.

Quoted from o-din:

Mine wants to keep Big Daddy and Stars. She could give a damn about any of the rest of them.
They might enjoy the novelty when they are small children, but they grow into young adults fast and the last thing many of them want to deal with at that age is lugging around a bunch of 250 pound machines, especially the ones with laughable (not comedy) themes.

Quoted from Colsond3:

And finally got done setting up, shopping this thing and upgrading a few other things. She couldn’t wait to jump on it...didn’t even put it in place before she hit the start button.
This game better Law/Levi?
[quoted image]

Quoted from phil-lee:

Your Post sizes it up better than any I have read.In many ways pinball will become (and already is) an "Elite" hobby.
I remember being in awe when I was young and someone had an actual Commercial-Grade pinball machine in their house. Rare then and still rare today.