Villain Of 'Toy Story 5' To Address Real Issues Faced By Children Nowadays

Some of the children who grew up watching Toy Story movies are now adults, and some are even parents. Hence, they might resonate with the idea behind the antagonist in the latest sequel, Toy Story 5. The movie's release is scheduled for June 19, 2026, but we know who the villain of the next film is going to be: a tablet, similar to LeapPad.

At the recent showcase at Annecy's International Animation Film Festival in France, Pixar's Chief Creative Officer, Pete Docter, revealed that Toy Story 5's villain is Lily Pad, which is a frog-themed tablet that grabs eight-year-old Bonnie Anderson's attention.

"It's a new tech tablet, which allows Bonnie to chat with their friends and play games and other things too," Docter said at a June 5 presentation in New York City.

"But Lily can also be a bit sneaky and prickly to be around. And because, in her mind, it's a lot better to be socialised, and Bonnie needs to move on from toys," he added.

Mobile phones, social media impact on children

The concept highlights the modern-age problem of children and their excessive use of mobile phones and tablets for gaming, online browsing, social media use, and more. From educational opportunities and access to information, there are positive effects as well, but negative aspects such as mental health concerns, sleep disruption, physical health problems, impaired cognitive development and behavioural issues cause higher risks.

Dr Ruchi Golash, Paediatrician - CMRI Hospital, Kolkata, told NDTV, "In recent years, one can observe the alarming surge of excessive social media usage among children and adolescents, especially on Instagram, YouTube, and Gaming apps. This overexposure is more serious than just losing some screen time; it is actively changing the way a child's brain matures, how they perceive reality, and how they grasp their value."

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"Being so impressionable, children are fed an unending stream of hyper-produced social media content that is pure perfection-in-caricature: flawless beauty regimes, unrealistic lifestyles, and insincere patting on the back with likes and followers. All these lead to impaired self-esteem, anxiety, body image, and sometimes depression," she said.

We have recorded instances where young girls have gone on to develop eating disorders because they wanted to look "Instagram-thin," or the others who slip into substance abuse or violent behaviours because they saw 'cool' or 'acceptable' online," Dr Golash added, highlighting the side-effecting of exposing the young mind to mobile phones and ablets with social media.

"Furthermore, online games and chatting sessions throw them head-first into a perilous virtual world that is hardly, if at all, tethered to moral and legal bounds," she further said, telling parents that "digital freedom is important, whereas digital discipline is essential!"