Those things still require free time. Having these as values and being able to regularly practice them are two different things. I don't see how that fact is "well meaning crap".
https://www.statista.com/chart/15224/daily-tv-consumption-by...
The decrease in television watching is actually among the more technically literate, not illiterate; according to Nielsen, younger people are watching streaming services instead of television.
Trying to teach your kids how to read or reading them a story cannot happen when much of the tv is consumed.
Parents using TV as a crutch to entertain kids is really common, and I'm eternally grateful I grew up in a home without TV. However, that was pre-modern streaming, ipads for kids, etc.
1. they often have multiple jobs since many jobs on the lower end don't pay a living wage.
2. they have longer commutes so they live in less expensive communities where their wages can go further. But those communities tend to have less available jobs overall.