The scarcest commodity in America might be simple, unmediated reality. It’s an odd kind of scarcity because the thing we’re lacking would seem to be the most plentiful. And yet, many of us only rarely encounter the world directly, without the distraction of the glowing screen in our pocket or on our desk. Absent a conscious act of will, it is hard to keep our brains focused on the real world.

Distraction is endemic but unevenly distributed. A recent study from Common Sense Media found that adolescents whose families make less than $35,000 a year spend two more hours per day looking at screens than do their peers from families making more than $100,000 a year. There are surely many rasons for this disparity, but for starters, dire financial stress can be devastating, making the world around you look dark and heavy. It can be tempting, in such circumstances, to forget your anxiety in the bright glow of the digital spectacle. And considering that low-income families are more likely to feature single mothers or parents who spend all day at work, it should come as no surprise that poor children are being raised by YouTube and TikTok.