Spoiler alert! This post contains comments on the plot and conclusion of Toy Story 5.
As someone who thinks critically about all things technology and youth, I keep getting asked for my opinions about Toy Story 5. Is it yet another attempt by Hollywood to manipulate with subtle (and not so subtle) marketing messages in favor of personal devices like Ipads and phones? Or can we overlook any subtle messages and simply enjoy Toy Story 5 for the upbeat entertainment that it is? Would I recommend it?
I went to see the movie a week after it came out with a whole crew of my nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. It was a blast! In general, I think Toy Story 5 is an entertaining and wholesome movie. But there were aspects of the story, especially the ending, that did not sit right with me. So pen and notebook in hand, I went and saw it a second time. The second viewing helped me clarify why I had issues with it, and I’m happy to share those insights with you now.
The movie is publicized as a battle between the toys and tech. Tech is characterized as the bad guy that the toys rise up against in a quest to protect their human friend, Bonnie, and to help her find real friends in the real world. The trailersr released by Pixar depict tech as a threat to the toys and a force with which to reckon. BUT, rather than personify tech as ugly and evil, the device in question is a cute green frog shaped tablet, named “Lilypad.” Certainly, something so cute and charming couldn’t be that bad, right?
Indeed, although deceitful and arrogant at the beginning of the movie, Lilypad later repents out of her true caring for Bonnie, and she intentionally removes herself from Bonnie’s life in an act of self sacrifice. But when the toys realize they could use Lilypad’s help to bring Bonnie and a potential new friend, Blaze, together, they find Lilypad and convince her she’s necessary in Bonnie’s life. The toys even apologize to Lilypad for how they treated her! Then, using Lilypad’s communication features, they successfully help Bonnie and Blaze connect, and the friendship between the two girls begins. The movie ends with these new BFFs interacting happily, playing with toys and relegating Lilypad to a camera (for selfies–ick!) and playing music (at Buzz and Jessie’s wedding). Toys, tech and children all live happily ever after together.
So what are some of the questionable messages here that have me thinking about whether or not to recommend the movie?
I take issue with Lilypad truly caring about Bonnie and even being willing to sacrifice herself for her human owner. Tech is not your friend and never can be. In a world where AI chatbots are quickly rising to replace human relationships and friendships, I think any personification of tech as a friend is a subtle yet dangerous message. Tech is not your friend.
Woody says, “Toys are for play, but tech is for EVERYTHING.” That may be true, but one moral of this story that does seem to come through is that “play is EVERYTHING.” I’m quoting Pediatric OT Larissa Geleris in her episode of “Digital Discernment” where she explains why play is so important to every aspect of a child’s development. EVERY aspect. When Woody says “tech is for everything,” we have to question whether or not we want our kids to use tech for everything and as a replacement for everything they ought to be learning through play with other children. Are we passively accepting that Lilypad is better than the toys because she can do “everything?” This is the implication of Woody’s statement and one to challenge.
I have mixed feelings about the resolution at the end of the movie. The toys determine that they actually NEED Lilypad in order to connect Bonnie with Blaze, thus making Lilypad the hero in the end. Studies suggest that when tech (social media in particular) is used to connect people in the real world, then it can actually reduce loneliness for those individuals. So using Lilypad in this way is an acceptable demonstration of her utility. That said, I’m uneasy with Lilypad becoming a key hero in this story. Again, tech is not your friend. It can be a useful tool for adults and older teens, but giving it a key role as hero is unpalatable and misleading, IMHO. As Katherine Martinko pointed out, why did they need Lilypad to connect them? Couldn’t they have found other ways to do so?
The movie sets up the problem of online bullying. Bonnie’s “friends” tease her online about playing with toys. Does this conflict really get resolved with the parents simply turning off the chat feature on the game? This was a key teachable moment, and I would have preferred seeing her parents talk more with Bonnie about what happened and even offer her some coping strategies for how to stand up for herself.
Furthermore, simply turning off a feature that stops the communication between Bonnie and the other girls is not enough to resolve Lilypad’s other “bad guy” features. What about the immediately problematic patterns Bonnie shows once given Lilypad, including sleeping with it next to her bed, becoming irritable and distraught when it’s not charged overnight, and her constant desire to play with it all day? A personal device for a child holds far more problems with it than the risk of online teasing or bullying, and the movie doesn’t really explore those concerns.
Additionally, that Lilypad herself recognizes she is bad for Bonnie is an odd message to send. Demonstrating that Lily actually cares about Bonnie is antithetical to what we know about tech companies and their manipulation of kids, and well, all of us. Again, tech is not your friend. It is designed to exacerbate exactly all of the problems that were depicted in the movie (such as no one playing together, but rather just staring at screens). Even built-in features to control the amount of time spent on a device (the screentime app on Iphone/Ipad and digital wellbeing on Androids) are not enough to say our tech “cares” about us.
There’s a subtly disturbing scene where Jessie confronts Lilypad and yells “you’re not listening to me!” To this, Lilypad responds eerily, “I’m always listening.” and then plays back Jessie’s exact words, and then repeats those words in Spanish and then raps them as a playful song. The porcupine comments “ooohhh, this concerns me ethically.” Indeed, this does concern me ethically because AI powered toys given to children are doing far more than just listening. They aim to shape and form the child’s thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. As a key developer of persuasive design, BJ Fogg of Stanford University, once boasted on his lab’s website, “Machines Designed to Change Humans.” Again, tech is not your friend, and while it is a useful tool, it is one designed to manipulate in ways you may not always realize.
So, getting back to the question people keep asking me is, do I recommend Toy Story 5? Despite my concerns noted above, my answer is actually, “Yes, AND.”
Yes, and for parents of young children, consider seeing the movie first yourself to determine if the content is appropriate for your child.
Yes, and be sure to use the many teachable moments in the movie to talk with your kids about everything from making friends, why too much screentime isn’t healthy, and the value of imaginative play.
Yes, and be aware of the subtle messages in the movie that hinge on manipulation–tech is not your friend, real live human beings are.
Yes, and enjoy the show and make time for conversation afterwards.
To help facilitate discussions with children, We’re offering a guide! Click on the link below to view the pdf, “Digital Discernment’s Toy Story 5 Discussion Guide for Parents, Teachers and Youth Ministry Leaders.”
And don’t forget to listen to the Toy Story 5 episode of Digital Discernment.