After a seven-year hiatus, the Toy Story franchise is back with its fifth film, this time tackling the very relevant discussion around children’s access to and preference for technology and the internet. Directed by Andrew Stanton, one of the writers behind the franchise and many other classic Pixar movies, Toy Story 5 follows eight-year-old Bonnie Anderson, voiced by Scarlet Spears, losing her love for toys as she’s gifted a new Lilypad tablet, voiced by Greta Lee. Set to release 19 June, the film will see Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack reprise their roles as Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie.
In the trailer, we see Bonnie struggle to make friends, and the toys devise a plan to help when Lilypad arrives, diverting all her attention to the tablet which all the other children already have. To win back the attention of young Bonnie, the toys must fight back against the Lilypad, whose character seems to be inspired by the Gen Z influencer, chronically-online archetype: not paying attention while you talk as she scrolls through her social media complete with vocal fry and the blank stares. Woody and Buzz Lightyear reunite to join forces with Jessie and the rest of the gang on a mission to prove their importance at a time when their relevance is rapidly being replaced.
In the previous films, the obsession with shiny, new toys confronted rampant consumerism and overconsumption, always wanting the newest thing. But now, it’s not just who has the newest Barbie doll, but who has the newest phone or the coolest social media. Fitting in is now based on technological or online presence. And as much as we want our children to make friends and have a social circle, what does it say about this next generation’s socialising that to make friends you have to cultivate a certain online presence?
Toys are a necessary way for children to experiment with socialising and problem-solving. You have different characters with unique personalities, and your imagination helps you to build their relationships and problem solve, spurring mental stimulation and growth. Without this, kids are taught to self-soothe through the internet and social media. It makes me wonder: were our mothers right all along? Is it the damned phone?
But technology doesn’t have to be all bad. It’s given us open access to information, connection across the world, and (online) third spaces for people. It’s the humans who weaponised it that rot our brains and add to the cognitive decline of the population. So, is Lilypad really evil? Will the toys end up defeating her or will they find a common ground? We’ll find out in June!