Toy Story & AI toys: Disney to the rescue?

Focus on the Family offers early response to a big-screen signal from mass culture

I’m not quite sure how to start this post. There are several options, so let me run through some of them.

(1) To all who sent me the trailer for “Toy Story 5,” thank you. Yes, I immediately sent it to Jonathan “Anxious Generation” Haidt, while knowing that he had almost certainly been hit with a tidal wave of emails the second the trailer reached the Internet. I guess we can hope that he was contacted by the principalities and powers at Disney long ago and, who knows, he may have been asked to serve as a consultant.

(2) Let’s start the countdown to the first After Babel essay about the “Toy Story 5” plotline — 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 …

Frankly, I spent the past week or so watching to see if something important had already been posted on that must-bookmark website. Readers, if you see anything “Toy Story 5” related before I do, please let me know.

(3) What does the calendar for your congregation look like in the week or so after June 19, 2026? That’s the projected release date for this flick. Is this enough lead time for congregational leaders to get their acts together and plan worthy responses? Can anyone imagine a church organizing an event around parents and children going to the multiplex to see this movie and then heading back to the fellowship-parish hall for discussions, refreshments and prayer?

(4) That leads to this question: Do you think parents, pastors, teachers and counselors trust the Disney empire to deliver a solid, family-friendly movie on the dangers of AI toys? Will many assume that the Kingdom of Mouse is too “woke” to deliver the goods? Will others, on the other hand, assume that Disney is too powerful to critique? Ask the Southern Baptists about that.

Back to the “woke” angle. If you ask Google about “Toy Story 5” the most-frequent-questions list in the AI summary of the search results indicates that people are still asking about the LGBTQ+ implications of “Toy Story 4.” What is your reaction if you are sitting in a multiplex, watching the 20-minute parade of coming-attractions clips, and the “Toy Story 5” trailer opens with, “From the people who brought you ‘Elio’!” Lord have mercy. Surely not.

I have more questions, but that’s enough for now.

The bottom line: There is no question that a Toy Story response to the dangers of Internet-connected toys is going to be a powerful “signal” to folks in the religious establishment, to state the matter in Rational Sheep terms. For background on the “signal” concept, see the overture for this project, a post that is two years old, as of yesterday (believe it or not). But here is a tweaked short version: A “signal” is a piece of mass culture that raises an issue on which clergy and the faithful cannot afford to be silent.

What’s the “secular subject” in “Toy Story 5”? For “secular subject” background, see this post from early in the life of this project: “Learning to pay attention to popular culture, part III.” The key: From the point of view of the screenwriter and director, what is the “Big Idea” of this movie?

While the danger of AI toys is the hook (click here for previous Rational Sheep material on that), I think we can assume this will be a movie about the death of childhood in the digital age, even the death of innocence.

Can churches and seminaries stay silent on that subject? Surely not.

Now, I am happy to report that the powerful parachurch organization Focus on the Family has already posted a first reaction in the form of a Daily Citizen feature: “‘Toy Story 5’ Trailer Tackles Treacherous Tech.”

Author Emily Washburn notes that the villain in this movie is “Lily Pad,” an AI-powered tablet that represents the whole world of Big Tech. Sheriff Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the Toy Story gang is back, fighting for the attention — the body, mind and soul — of a young child named Bonnie. Here is some of Washburn’s summary material:

The clip, though short, illustrates technology’s effects on children with uncomfortable accuracy.

Before Lily Pad’s arrival, Bonnie uses her toys to act out a dramatic whodunnit.

Bonnie’s wild tale ends when she receives Lily Pad. The endlessly entertaining device monopolizes the young girl’s play time, prompting Rex [the dinosaur], a franchise-favorite, to exclaim, “Extinction! Not again!”

Lily Pad’s disruption of Bonnie’s play reflects real concerns about personal technology’s effect on child development. Imaginative play is crucial to children’s early brain development. When tablets and smartphones eradicate boredom from kids’ lives, they lose essential opportunities to create, reflect and make sense of the world around them.

That last paragraph is, of course, straight out of the After Babel playbook and I am relieved to report that this feature directly references Haidt’s pioneering work on these topics.

Once again, who needs toys, play time and an active imagination when there is a glowing screen that talks to you, entertains you and, sort of, meets your every need? Oh, and who needs analog friends?

Let’s head back to Washburn’s feature:

Many early friendships form around playing pretend, where children learn to communicate, work together and consider one another’s preferences — the building blocks of empathy, connection and social awareness.

Importantly, studies show children do not learn the same skills from observing people on a screen.

Technology also changes the way children communicate. Toy Story 5’s trailer features a short scene showing a group of kids sitting on a stoop, all focused on their own Lily Pads.

What about Bonnie’s parents? Apparently they are struggling to keep that addictive tablet under control, but halfway tactics are clearly failing. In one trailer scene, “Bonnie’s dad tells her ‘screen time’ is over.” Good luck with that. Alas, the digital hooks are already engaged and nothing in the child’s life is as attractive as her new friend Lily Pad.

In terms of resources, the Daily Citizen points readers to Haidt (“Social Psychologist Finds Smartphones and Social Media Harm Kids in These Four Ways”) and also to “The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones,” a 2025 book by Clare Morell of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Washburn adds:

While the tech industry often compares tech to sugar, an addictive chemical that can nevertheless be consumed in small doses, Morell says tech is more like fentanyl for impressionable kids. Smartphones and tablets begin changing kids’ brains immediately, giving them intense dopamine highs which make everyday pleasures seem boring in comparison.

Toy Story 5 sets up an epic battle between two versions of childhood — one in which, we hope, the toys will win. But it’s unclear how the movie will resolve a problem so many parents struggle to tackle themselves.

What happens in the movie’s final act? What will Disney dare to propose as a solution for this cultural crisis? Remember, this is the same company that — in previous generations — pretty much created the TV- then VCR-babysitter strategy for millions of parents and, thus, their families.

The Focus on the Family feature ends, logically enough, with a list of its own resources, such as: “Our Parents’ Guide to Technology 2026,” “Parenting Tips for Guiding Your Kids in the Digital Age,” “Parent-Run Groups Help Stop Childhood Smartphone Use” and “The Harmful Effects of Screen-Filled Culture on Kids.”

This is a start. Bravo.

Now, in the comments section, please let me know how you think the leaders of your congregations will respond if you ask them to schedule a religious-education event directly linked to the release of “Toy Story 5.” Be kind, but candid.