Is My Teen Addicted to Their Cell Phone—and How Can I Help My Teen's Addiction? Toy Story 5’s Trailer Sends a Message Every Parent Needs to Hear

Written by Tynan Mason of Higher Grounds Management

The newly released teaser for “Toy Story 5” makes a bold statement: “The age of toys is over.” In a world with a frog-shaped smart tablet named Lilypad, Bonnie’s beloved toys—Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the gang—see their classic era of play under threat. The message is clear: screens are here, and real-world connection might be losing ground.

The emotional narrative behind the teaser is: older modes of play, relationship, and connection are being challenged by digital distraction. The toys, which once held Bonnie’s attention for years, suddenly seem outdated as Lilypad arrives. The storyline mirrors a growing concern among parents, educators, and mental health professionals—that over-reliance on technology may undermine emotional growth, focus, grit, and interpersonal skills.

What this has to do with your teen (and your home)

The teaser may be about animated toys, but the core challenge is very real for families: Are our teens letting screens replace real life? Are they trading in genuine connection, effort, failure, and growth for instant gratification?

At Higher Grounds Management, we see this every day:

• A teen opts for the tablet instead of face-to-face interaction.

• A young adult hides behind a game rather than stepping into the discomfort of real challenge.

• Family meals become silent, each member locked into a device rather than engaged with each other.

Those moments reproduce the very dynamic on display in the Toy Story 5 trailer: toys watching helplessly as the tablet draws the child’s attention away. But the solution isn’t about shaming screens—it’s about reinforcing everything that the screen steals away: real human interaction, emotional presence, accountability, growth, and the willingness to fail and learn.

How we help teens shift from passive “play” to active growth

Here’s how Higher Grounds Management applies the insight from this cultural moment—and how we guide families toward healthier patterns, especially in the South Bay (Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Palos Verdes, etc.).

1. Replacing endless scrolling with meaningful time

We support families in creating tech-boundaries that allow teens to step into real life: family dinners without devices, outdoor time, face-to-face conversation, and projects that require effort. Just as the toys once needed Bonnie’s engaged attention, teens need engaged presence—not just passive consumption.

2. Building grit through real failures and challenges

In Toy Story 5, the toys will have to adapt or lose relevance. In real life, teens thrive when they face something hard—when they attempt and maybe fail, then try again. We help teens develop executive functioning and emotional regulation skills so that when screen distraction beckons, they choose the harder but more rewarding path.

3. Strengthening connection, not isolation

Rather than watching from the sidelines, our coaches go into the home. We observe routines, screen habits, communication patterns, and help families make changes where they happen. The message of the trailer—that toys can feel obsolete when attention shifts—translates into: teens feel unseen when phones dominate. We help families reverse that.

4. Teaching emotional presence and real play

Screens promise fun, but often deliver passive stimulation. We guide teens toward forms of play and interaction that engage social skills, creativity, effort, and connection—with peers, siblings, parents, and coaches. This counters the “tablet wins” scenario seen in the trailer.

Why this matters now

In the age of instant gratification and relentless digital engagement, messages like “the toys feel irrelevant” carry more weight than ever. The trailer for Toy Story 5 prompts us to ask: What happens to teens when real connection and effort are replaced with passive consumption?

At Higher Grounds, we believe: when teens rediscover real connection, real failure, real growth, the result is stronger focus, emotional resilience, and life skills that screens can’t provide.

If you’re in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Torrance, Rolling Hills, Rancho Palos Verdes, Newport Beach, Corona del Mar or anywhere in Orange County, Higher Grounds Management is here to help. We also offer virtual support and therapy to families nationwide.

We’re here to help—in your home or virtually. Contact us today to get started.

Written by Tynan Mason of Higher Grounds Management