You mean non-existent. The Atari 2600 came out in 1977 and it's very difficult to have streaming TV without the internet, which came about în the 80s and 90s.

>Also the poverty line is a moving target. People with streaming TV and video game consoles are technically in poverty in the US

Yea, this is a tricky one. Is there something below poverty? Googling it says the poverty line is $35,801 for a family. I have relatives in a foreign country that would die for $35k (even all things relative). They have a TV but that's about it. No streaming, no reliable cell phones, etc. All through college and even a bit before, I would have lived in what was considered poverty... but to say "I lived in poverty" just sounds silly.

Depending on where one lives 35k may not even cover rent and food after taxes so that basically leaves you with debt or constantly accruing more and more poverty which in turn it becomes harder and harder to get out of.

Yay they can stream while their kids don't have decent winter coats, shoes, or access to dental care. What progress.