By: Emma Dabell 

Toy Story 5 releases on June 19. It is about the main character Bonnie getting addicted to her tablet. It affects her real play and imagination. Bonnie’s other toys are very upset by this and want to take action. Now we are waiting to see if Bonnie will learn to coexist with the tablet, or will the toys get rid of it entirely?    

CNBC reports how Toy Story 5 might help parents recognize the danger screens are causing to their kids. The movie’s message is to hopefully encourage kids to spend less time on devices and instead enjoy their real toys, imagination, and spending time with others. It also mentions how the film could remind parents and children about the importance of balancing technology with real life experiences, especially at a young age.  

Now even teens are relying too much on technology. Science News reports that technology and social media is affecting kids’ mental health. There has been a spike in kids being on technology since the pandemic. Kids in school rely too much on technology to help them get their work done. This can be an issue because it shows a greater likelihood of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. 

Youth are our future, so what will happen if they only know the life of screens? Bellbrook High School students expressed their thoughts. “Kids wouldn’t know how to interact with people in real life or how to properly regulate their attention spans, and emotions,” freshman Anabelle Cyphers said. 

Daily Citizen reports about how kids don’t learn the same from a screen than from real life experiences. Without those crucial experiences and lessons through life, our generations could decrease mentally and not know how to think for themselves. 

Imaginative play is very important to a child’s development. Without imaginative play, kids are always going to need something to fill the boredom and they often use technology around them. What could happen if kids don’t get important experiences or development due to screens? “They are learning about the world second hand and it could cause them to have a distorted view of reality,” junior Ben Slagley said. 

Will Toy Story 5 successfully get the message across that screens are harming our future generations? “Since the movie is for a younger audience, a large portion of the audience will be parents who may take the advice to heart,” Slagley said.