‘Toy Story 5’ a must-see for parents on intentional tech use

Walking out of the movie theater after watching “Toy Story 5,” I had one thought: “This is a must-watch for all parents of young and adolescent children.”

While it is a fun, heartwarming, and emotional story, the script does an excellent job of showing how difficult it is to parent in the age of technology and how important it is to do so with intention.

“Toy Story 5” puts into perspective just how comprehensively screens and electronics have taken over imaginative play and time outside. It also shows the role technology plays in fitting in and making friends — oftentimes, parents give their children screens because it’s hard for kids to socialize without them.

But it runs deeper than that: Common Sense Media’s report on children’s media use from ages 0-8 shows that 40% of kids have their own tablet by age 2, and 60% have their own tablet by age 4. Alarmingly, 66% of parents say they rely on screens to occupy their child so that they can have a break. This should give us pause.

If parents knew the proven harmful effects of screen time from a young age, would they reconsider exposing their children to them so young? If “Toy Story 5” is not convincing enough, Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation” offers more substantial proof. This book demonstrates how the transition from a “play-based childhood” to a “phone-based childhood” has caused a mental health crisis in young people worldwide.

Haidt makes this connection as he provides visual graphs for the changes in children’s mental health rates as they correlate with the changes in how children spend their time. As outdoor play time and socializing out of the home have plummeted, screen-based activities have climbed steadily in opposition. He draws a correlation between declining mental health — like the 20% of undergraduates today who are depressed and 25% of those who have anxiety — and the increased screen use from a younger age and continued social media use through adolescence and young adulthood.

A study published by the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities shows that 48% of young women and 31% of young men who had a smartphone by age 6 reported having suicidal thoughts later in life. The authors recommended that smart phone and social media access be restricted for children under 13. A North Carolina bill, House Bill 301, seeks to do exactly that: place age restrictions on addictive social media use.

In an age where we see toys becoming obsolete in favor of online learning games and short-form videos, and with guardians increasingly using screens as a parenting aid, it’s no wonder the NC General Assembly has decided to step in and do something about it. But is HB 301 really what we need to reverse the path we are setting our children on?

This bill, titled Social Media & AI Safety, seeks to take active measures against child social media use as it becomes increasingly clear that some parents are not exercising this level of oversight themselves. But as more and more data conclusively prove that social media and screens are to blame for our children’s increasing mental health concerns, guardians ought to become more intentional about controlling this themselves. We should be wary of the government taking over responsibility that belongs to parents. 

The bill itself takes necessary measures; the data shows that social media is profoundly harmful for children and someone has to limit their access to it. But the responsibility to restrict its use belongs to a child’s parents. I for one would not change a thing about how I grew up — I was not given a smart phone until I was 15, and I certainly had social media restrictions until I was much older. Looking back, I gave my parents a hard time, but I am grateful that they held strong and took the heat as they knew they were protecting me and my mental health. While it might be even more difficult for me to do that for my future children, I owe it to them. Today’s parents owe it to their kids as well.

There is merit to HB 301, and I am curious to see the impact it would have if it were to become law (it has passed both chambers but in different versions, so it requires a conference committee to now work out those differences). But we should keep in mind as well — where the government steps in, adverse effects often follow. In the meantime, parents should monitor their children with intention, and encourage them to go outside, play with toys, and socialize with other children.

“‘Toy Story 5’ a must-see for parents on intentional tech use” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.