I found the “Toy Story 5” theme of tech versus toys very intriguing, as folks like me from older generations often lament that today’s kids are missing out on one of the most wonderful parts of childhood: using your God-given imagination. Screentime on tablets can lock so many kids in, and while tech toys can teach them useful skills they will need, such as problem solving, language development and trial-and-error learning, they cannot replace the joyfulness and thrill that emanate from toys coming alive through the extraordinary power of creativity.

“Toy Story 5” continues with Bonnie Anderson, the 4-year-old we were introduced to in the third film, who becomes the central child character after Andy Davis, the original owner of the toys, heads off to college. Bonnie inherits the classic toy gang that features our all-time favorites: Woody and Jessie, the vintage pull-string dolls; Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head; Buzz Lightyear, the action space ranger with Iron Man capabilities; Bullseye, Woody’s trusty horse; Slinky Dog; Rex, the dinosaur who is anxious about everything; and Hamm, the piggy bank Andy cleverly named “Evil Dr. Porkchop.” Bonnie is now in elementary school and is still very shy, which makes it difficult for her to make friends. “Toy Story 5” depicts Bonnie as somewhat of an anomaly in her generation because she still plays with toys. She is a fictional Gen Alpha kid, and children in this generation, who were born between 2013 and 2025, have been raised with smart devices and emerging AI technology. The toys, led by Jessie, are determined to help Bonnie connect with a pair of twins in her neighborhood, but the twins find Bonnie a little weird because she still enjoys her make-believe adventures with her traditional toys. With fewer in-person playdates, kids Bonnie’s age are now captivated by the latest tech toy, the Lilypad, which connects them through group chats. After Bonnie gets a Lilypad from her parents, Jessie’s master plan is halted as Bonnie falls into the world of screens. Some of the film’s best humor occurs when Jessie and the toys have a word with the smart tablet that has abruptly invaded their space with Bonnie. Lilypad googles Jessie and calls her “old,” and the toys fear their era is over, prompting Hamm to give this witty one-liner: “I got dibs on behind the dresser.” The core plot of the film’s storyline is whether digital playtime is better for kids in our technological age.

The nostalgic scenes in all the “Toy Story” films, featuring beloved toys from past decades, are a clear assertion that tech cannot replace the innovation of playtime. Now, we all know that tech is here to stay, and when properly monitored, it is beneficial for teaching kids to become digitally literate, an essential skill they will need as technology advances. Studies, however, continue to show that kids need a better balance between their device use and physical activities. For example, in a 2019 Harvard Medical School article titled “Screen Time and the Brain,” Michael Rich, now the director of the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders, stated that too much time staring at screens causes an “impoverished” stimulation of children’s brains. He argued that “creativity and imagination” can thrive when kids are bored, as boredom prompts them to transform their environment. When I was Bonnie’s age, my imagination ran nonstop, with my playtime centering on me recreating Sunday morning worship services. I “played church” at home with my dolls and stuffed animals, placing them in a fabric-tufted lounge chair, directing them in the choir, and preaching the sermons I had memorized. My impersonations of the customary congregational call-and-response tradition in Black churches had “amens” ringing throughout my bedroom. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was honing the language and public speaking skills I would later use as an educator. I believe that such soulful ingenuity is a brilliant gift that God imparted to all of us, and when children tap into it, He sees a magnificent reflection of what He created.

Woody makes a thought-provoking statement at the beginning of “Toy Story 5” when he tells Jessie in a concerning tone, “Toys are for play, but tech is for everything.” The film’s ending suggests that the latter need not be true, as Bonnie makes friends with a girl named Blaze, who shares a love of her own toy collection. Tech only becomes everything to children when we allow it to overhaul their lives. The “Toy Story” franchise is a gentle reminder of why we should not allow this to happen.