I recently watched Toy Story 5, and while most people will probably walk away talking about the toys, the laughs, or the nostalgia, I left thinking about something else entirely: We're losing the battle for our kids' attention.
And as a single mom of three trying to juggle a full-time career, a business, a household, and everything else life throws my way, I understand exactly why. Screens are easier. They just are. When dinner needs to be made, emails need to be answered, laundry is piling up, and your to-do list is longer than your day, handing over a tablet can feel like the only realistic option. No judgment here. I've done it.
But sitting in that theater, I couldn't shake the feeling that Toy Story 5 was holding up a mirror to something many of us already know deep down: Technology isn't the problem. It's when we allow it to replace the things our children need most.
The Tech Takeover Feels Uncomfortably Familiar
The central conflict of Toy Story 5 revolves around technology increasingly taking over Bonnie's world. At one point, I found myself laughing because it felt so relatable. Not funny-ha-ha. Funny-because-it's-true.
The movie asks a question many parents are quietly wrestling with: What happens when technology becomes a child's primary source of entertainment, connection, and stimulation? What happens when it starts replacing imagination? Replacing boredom? Replacing friendship? Replacing play?
As I watched, I kept thinking about how often I find myself battling this exact tension in my own home. Not because I hate technology. Far from it. My entire career exists because of technology. I work online. I build online. I create online. Technology is an incredible tool. But tools are meant to help us build something better, not become the thing itself.
What struck me most is how differently jealousy shows up in this film compared to the original. In the first Toy Story, jealousy was personal — Woody threatened by Buzz, one toy afraid of losing one child's love. In Toy Story 5, it's collective. All of Bonnie's toys, together, watching her drift toward a device that can't actually love her back. They aren't competing with each other anymore. They're competing with a screen.
And honestly? That felt less like a children's movie and more like a documentary.
"She Needs to Play"
One moment in the movie hit me harder than any of the action scenes. The simple realization: She needs to play.
Not because play fills time. Because play builds people.
As parents, we often treat play like the thing children do when everything else is finished. The reality is exactly the opposite. Play is the work of childhood. It's where confidence develops, creativity grows, leadership begins, and where resilience is built. Play is where kids learn how to navigate conflict, solve problems, and make friends.
One of my favorite moments in the film happens when Bonnie's struggle isn't solved by a device. It's solved by connection — by getting out into the world, discovering common interests, and finding the right people. The answer wasn't more technology. The answer was more life.
"A Real Friend Would Be Here"
There's a line from Jessie that stuck with me: "A real friend would be here."
Because that one isn't just about kids. It's about us too.
We live in the most connected time in human history. Yet loneliness continues to rise. We have more followers. More notifications. More messages. More content. But somehow less connection.
One of the things I loved about Toy Story 5 is that it didn't demonize technology. Instead, it showed something more nuanced. Technology helped Bonnie find someone she had something real in common with. The technology created the opportunity. But the friendship happened because of the people. That's a distinction I think we've forgotten. Technology can help us connect. But it cannot replace connection.
The Scene That Gave Me Hope
One of my favorite storylines involved Jessie and Bullseye working alongside some of the older technology. It wasn't technology versus people. It was technology working with people — supporting them, helping them, serving a purpose.
That's the future I want for my children. Not a future where technology disappears. A future where technology knows its place. Use the cameras. Capture memories. Play the music. Video call Grandma. Learn new skills. Discover people who share your interests. Use technology to strengthen relationships. Just don't let it become the relationship.
Why This Matters So Much to Me
Maybe this movie hit differently because I've spent years watching the gradual shift. I've watched childhood become increasingly digital. I've watched boredom become something we're afraid of. I've watched imagination get crowded out by endless entertainment.
And if I'm being honest, I've watched myself fall into those same traps. Sometimes, because I'm tired. Others because I'm overwhelmed, because frankly, it's simply easier. But easier isn't always better.
That's why I find myself so drawn to the work that S.S. Coulter is doing through the Let There Be Joy Podcast. The message isn't anti-technology. It's pro-connection. Pro-imagination. Pro-family. Pro-presence.
One of the most powerful episodes explains why modern technology is quietly stealing our joy — not because it's inherently bad, but because we've allowed it to replace things that bring genuine fulfillment.
Listen to the Let There Be Joy Podcast →
Why I Believe Fassa Tails Matters
This is also why I love what S.S. Coulter has built with her character-developing book series, The Fassa Tails. They're more than stories. They're invitations. Invitations to imagine, to wonder, to ask questions, to build character, to have conversations, to spend time together, and to strengthen the very muscles that endless scrolling weakens.
The goal isn't raising kids who never use technology. The goal is raising kids who know how to live without needing it every moment of the day. Kids need to be able to entertain themselves, learn to create and dream, and build real friendships. They need to play.
Explore the Fassa Tails Collection →
Play Is How They'll Find the Right Friends
One of my favorite moments in the movie comes near the end. Bonnie finally meets someone she genuinely connects with. Not because an algorithm selected the perfect friend or because technology manufactured the relationship, but because she found someone who shared her interests. Someone she could actually connect with.
It reminded me of something that's easy to forget: The answer isn't eliminating technology. The answer is helping kids develop enough confidence, curiosity, and imagination to build meaningful lives both online and offline.
That's exactly why I also recommend S.S. Coulter's conversation with parenting expert Janet Krebs: How to Raise Confident, Capable Kids Without Doing Everything for Them
Because confidence doesn't come from being entertained. It comes from experience, from trying and failing, and figuring things out.
When Comparison Steals Joy
The more I thought about the movie, the more I realized how different the conflict feels from the original. In the first Toy Story, Woody worried about being replaced by Buzz. In Toy Story 5, Bonnie's toys aren't competing with each other anymore. They're competing with a screen.
That also made me think about how easy it is for comparison to sneak into childhood. Kids naturally notice who has more friends, more attention, or the newest thing. Screens don't create comparison, but they can make it harder to simply be content with who we are and what we have. And that's often where jealousy begins.
If that's something you've noticed in your own family, I highly recommend S.S. Coulter's article How to Deal with Jealousy: 5 Strategies for You and Your Kids. It's full of practical, encouraging ideas for helping children navigate those emotions in healthy ways.
The Course Correction I'm Desperate For
Maybe that's why Toy Story 5 resonated with me so much. It wasn't really about toys, or technology. It was about remembering what children actually need.
They need boredom to stimulate imagination. They need adventure and friendship, and opportunities to create instead of consume.
As a mom, I'm not looking for perfection. I'm not throwing every screen out of the house or pretending technology doesn't have tremendous value. But I am desperate for a course correction. This was a reminder that technology should support childhood, not replace it. A reminder that play still matters. Friendship still matters. Imagination still matters. And a reminder that joy is almost always found in real life. Not on a screen.
Looking for More Ways to Build Connection at Home?
- 📖 Explore the Fassa Tails Books
- 🎤 Listen to the Let There Be Joy Podcast
- 💡 How to Deal with Jealousy: 5 Strategies for You and Your Kids
Because the goal isn't less technology. It's more joy.