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Bonnie interacts with them the same way any child interacts with toys: She plays with them, giving them roles in her imaginative stories; talks to them, expressing feelings, ideas, and frustrations; handles them physically; and assigns meaning to them—comfort toys, favorites, or characters she uses to work through emotions.
From the toys’ perspective, they listen to Bonnie, interpret her emotions based on how she plays with them, and, once she leaves the room, they come alive and think of ways to help her. Lilypad, her new tablet, shares these same characteristics.
Problem With Tablet Use. Bonnie becomes increasingly absorbed in her Lilypad tablet, and her human friends misinterpret her withdrawal as choosing the device over them. The film centers on how her toys—and even the Lilypad itself—respond to Bonnie’s struggles with this perception and help her navigate the peer pressure, misunderstandings, negative self‑talk, and social conflict she feels. The scenes portray multiple real‑life issues, including how digital devices seduce children with non-judgment, praise, instant feedback, and the perception that the device understands them and is their friend.
Supervised teen instructors guide students through selected scenes, using the 10 Wise Ways to highlight Wizard Brain and Lizard Brain thinking, recognize support resources, identify red flag warnings, and describe emotions and where they land on the emotions elevator. Other examples include separating facts from opinions, identifying choices, considering consequences, setting goals, and communicating effectively.
Having words to describe problems empowers teens and children to talk about difficult situations and explore what can be done to prevent or solve them. The teens can ask why Woody pauses before acting, how Jessie uses her support system, or what consequences Bonnie faces when her emotions take over. Bonnie’s toys—and the Lilypad—become teaching tools that reinforce the 10 Wise Ways.
Impact of Teen Instructors. These powerful lessons have even greater impact because they are delivered by BrainWise-trained teens. Their ability to connect with younger students–proven by peer education research--transforms Toy Story 5 into more than a movie—it becomes a shared language to stop and think and builds and strengthens important brain connections. Through the teens’ guidance, children learn that they are not alone in their struggles and that they have practical tools to make wise choices in their own lives.
The teens, under adult supervision, reinforce BrainWise lessons with younger students. Technology now makes it possible to create these connections across cities, states, and nations. While teaching on site is preferred, it is not required. COVID accelerated the use of virtual platforms, and BrainWise teens successfully delivered Zoom presentations to elementary students in other counties and states—including Keenesburg, CO., and Ferguson, MO.
A future project will involve Navajo, Colorado, and Irish high school students trained in BrainWise collaborating through platforms like Zoom to promote the use of teen suicide prevention hotlines.
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