In Toy Story 5, Pixar's beloved franchise takes on the encroachment of technology into children's lives, setting up a tug-of-war between physical and digital play. The film arrives at a time when, according to Pew Research, the majority of children under 12 use tablets or smartphones, and screen time's link to mental health is under scrutiny. The movie reflects these parental anxieties but stops short of being an anti-tech screed.
The Plot: Toys vs. Tablets
The story centers on Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack), the favorite toy of eight-year-old Bonnie. Bonnie becomes captivated by a child-friendly tablet called Lilypad, or Lily, which threatens to replace traditional toys. Jessie's panic mirrors parental fears about children choosing screens over imaginative play. However, the film acknowledges that Toy Story 5 itself will eventually stream on Disney+, a tablet-friendly app.
Nuanced Take on Technology
The filmmakers avoid demonizing technology. Jessie befriends outdated devices that share her fear of being discarded, blurring the line between toys and tech. The tablet's most negative effects stem from human behavior: Bonnie's parents buy it to help her socialize, but it enables bullying among children. Yet tech also aids Bonnie in forming real friendships, as long as it involves toy-based play rather than isolated screen time.
Pixar's Balancing Act
Pixar's trademark nuance sometimes feels mathematically derived rather than emotionally driven. Jessie's rebellion against tech is not fully validated, and the film both-sides the issue. While it wittily acknowledges parenting haplessness—Bonnie's parents admit getting a tablet may be a bad idea but don't know what else to try—the movie's emotional core returns to Jessie's insecurities from Toy Story 2, implying that the fundamentals of guiding a child remain universal despite changing tech.
Critique of the Approach
Some critics argue that making tech's addictive qualities secondary to bad friendships seems optimistic in an era of deepfakes and AI concerns. The film does not address dangers like online misinformation or chatbots. As much as Pixar acknowledges toys may not have a future, its faith in the partnership between humans and tech may belong to the past.
