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The Atlantic ·Smart escape

<em>Toy Story </em>Confronts a Nightmare of Modern Parenting

by David Sims

Published 2026-06-19 08:00:00-04:00

What is actually lost when a child chooses a screen over a stuffed animal?

0:00 / 6:19 · Narrator Gacrux

Context

When Pixar handed a tablet computer a speaking role in Toy Story 5, it dragged a nostalgic franchise into the modern playroom. In a review published on 19 June 2026, The Atlantic steps back from the usual panic over screen time to see what the film is actually doing. The piece holds up because it treats a children's movie as a serious debate over how kids connect, capturing how a story about talking dolls addresses internet addiction without turning technology into a flat villain.

Show notes

An analysis of how Toy Story 5 addresses modern screen time by introducing a talking tablet computer as its newest character. The review outlines the film's debate between traditional toys and digital devices, contrasting the creativity of physical play with the detachment of online games. It also details the movie's shift in focus to Jessie the cowgirl as she watches children abandon their physical toys for screens.

Read on The Atlantic →