Toy Story 5 Is Fuelling Analog Summers. Do You Need To Hide The iPad?

If you've been on TikTok lately, you've probably seen it: parents dramatically sliding iPads into drawers, stacking board games on kitchen tables, and pledging a screen-free summer. Some parents seem serious about it, while others are clearly performing for the algorithm. Either way, the message is everywhere, and a lot of the chatter seems to be inspired by Toy Story 5.

The movie centres on Jessie the cowgirl going head-to-head with Lilypad, a frog-faced smart tablet who has captured the attention of eight-year-old Bonnie. As Bonnie becomes more absorbed in her device, the toys are forced to reckon with what play looks like in a world shaped by screens, apps and constant digital stimulation.

While analog summer was a buzzword before the movie came out, the idea really blew up afterwards. And it's not hard to see why the idea has caught on. After years of pandemic-era screen reliance, parents are craving something that feels more tangible.

But Toy Story 5 doesn't actually say screens are the villain

The film's message is more complicated than the TikTok discourse suggests. Lilypad starts as the antagonist, but she's not the bad guy. By the end, the tablet and the toys have to work together to help Bonnie find real friendship. It's a detail that's getting lost in the analog-summer conversation.

Matthew Johnson, Director of Education at MediaSmarts, Canada's centre for digital and media literacy, noticed this immediately. "The film presents analog play as being inherently imaginative," he says, "but it's important to remember that the reason why toys of the Buzz Lightyear type were created was because kids wanted to participate in media experiences they enjoyed, like Star Wars." Even classic toys, in other words, have always been tangled up with media culture.

The movie shows this too. Bonnie's parents eventually disable Lilypad's group chat feature, but they do it late, and they're not quite sure what to do next. Most parents watching probably weren't either.

The all-or-nothing approach probably won't work

For families considering a screen-free summer, the research offers a reality check. "Interventions aimed at simply reducing overall screen time frequently have no impact, positive or negative, on well-being," says Johnson.

In fact, for some kids, being cut off from screens entirely can do more harm than good. Johnson points out that for youth in vulnerable groups, including 2SLGBTQ+ kids, the internet is often a vital source of community and support. Removing access can actually increase risks to their mental health. Overly strict rules, he adds, can backfire, potentially leading to more problematic use down the line.

And there's another factor at play: the guilt parents feel about screen time may be causing more family stress than the screen time itself. "Research has found that parental guilt over screen use, and the perception that screens are harmful, often cause more family stress and relationship strain than the actual time spent on devices," says Johnson.

So you probably don't need to hide the iPad. But you might need to think differently about it.

Think of media like food, not sugar

Johnson offers a reframe worth sitting with: try thinking of media use as food rather than sugar. "Instead of trying to minimize it, make sure that kids are getting good things in reasonable amounts," he says.

That means shifting from rules to what Johnson calls "media expectations": a framework built on mutual family accountability and values, rather than policing. Instead of "use the phone less," the goal is to build routines that make sure screens aren't displacing the things that matter: sleep, exercise, in-person time with friends.

Analog activities like puzzles, board games, and outdoor adventures have a role here, but not as a replacement for screens. More as a complement. "Arrange for more non-screen activities kids enjoy," says Johnson, adding that screens can actually help motivate some of those: apps like Pokémon Go or Merlin, a birdwatching app, can make going outside more appealing.

Not all screen time is created equal

One of the most useful things Johnson points out is that the type of screen time matters enormously. "Activities that are active, social, or creative are highly beneficial," he says. Which means that watching Toy Story 5 together as a family and talking about it afterward is genuinely valuable screen time.

"Co-viewing is especially valuable because it turns screen time into a social activity and allows parents to guide the experience," says Johnson. Coding, making music, video calling a grandparent: all worth protecting. Mindless solo scrolling at midnight? Less so. The film shows Bonnie doing exactly this, staying up late and reaching for Lilypad first thing in the morning. A lot of parents in that theatre probably knew the feeling.

The goal is agency, not abstinence

Johnson also makes a point that feels especially useful for parents: how much control a child feels over their technology matters more for their well-being than how many hours they spend on it.

"Research shows that people who view their tech use as a tool they control report better mental health than those who feel 'addicted' or powerless against it," he says. Framing technology as something bad or addictive can actually undermine a child's confidence in their own ability to manage it.

"Instead of being enforcers," says Johnson, "parents should aim to help their kids build the skills to use media mindfully."So this summer, the goal may be less about declaring the house screen-free and more about being deliberate about how screens fit into family life. The iPad can stay in the mix, alongside puzzles, bike rides and board games, without every decision turning into a guilt spiral.