Pixar films have a way of aiming for the heart and delivering powerful messages for both children and adults. Toy Story 5 does exactly that, celebrating the creativity, imagination, and hands-on play that have defined childhood for centuries – while contrasting them with the passive, screen-driven, imagination-robbing entertainment that so often captures children's attention today.

This theme is illustrated early in the film when Bonnie is shown happily laughing and playing with her traditional toys. Jessie and Bullseye – wanting to find her a playmate – embark on a mission and climb to the top of a house to scout the neighborhood, but, unfortunately, find no children engaged in imaginative play. Instead, all of them are sitting quietly on couches, absorbed in screens.

Spotting a pair of twin girls she thinks would be perfect companions for Bonnie, Jessie is disappointed to discover that neither is playing with toys. “They're both just sitting there doing nothing – they ain't playing with toys at all,” she says. As she continues scanning the neighborhood, she sees more of the same: child after child focused on a device.

“The age of toys is over,” a nearby worn-out toy tells Jessie.

“Once tech invades your home, you're dead,” the toy adds.

The film, thankfully, doesn’t fall back on the familiar “screentime is fine in moderation” message that so often accompanies discussions about children and tech. Instead, it portrays Bonnie in a state every parent has witnessed: moody, lethargic, and irritable after spending time on a screen – and frustrated when it stops working. Away from Lilypad, she is cheerful, creative, and engaged. When she’s on it, she becomes withdrawn and dependent. Just like choosing between Twinkies over vegetables, children will almost always gravitate toward the less healthy choice when it comes to entertainment, too.

At times, the film feels like a 90-minute reminder that children – especially the youngest ones – don’t need their own tablet. (Maybe Toy Story 6 can tackle teenagers and smartphones, but I digress.)

A growing body of research has linked excessive screen time among children to problems ranging from reduced attention spans and lower academic performance to increased anxiety, depression, and sleep disruption. It's a concern that surgeons general from both Republican and Democratic administrations have highlighted in recent years.

Photo Credit: ©Pixar