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By India McCarty
Spending too much time on a screen? TOY STORY 5 star Tom Hanks says that’s a good way to “[miss] out on life.”
“No kid has ever had their feelings hurt by a toy that they are playing [with]. Right?” he asked Movieguide®. “But every kid — probably every kid — has had their feelings hurt by something that has been typed about them on a screen that they have, either a phone or anything like that. Without a doubt.”
Hanks continued, “The tools at our disposal are wonderful things, and without a doubt, they are responsible for some very cruel moments in people’s lives. Tools are great to use, without a doubt, but if you’re not having fun with toys, if you’re not playing with your friends and their toys, you’re missing out on life.”
In an interview with USA Today, the actor called technology “both a great blessing and a curse,” pointing to the educational aspects of it. However, he also shared a scene from the upcoming movie where a character is devastated by something someone posts about her online.
Related: TOY STORY 5 Tackles Big Themes in a Child-Sized Way
“That’s the yin to the yang. That’s the other side of it,” Hanks said. “No one has ever been hurt by a toy that they’ve been playing with. But here’s a version of a thing that can enhance one’s life, and at the same time, make somebody feel really, really, really, really terrible.”
That theme is at the heart of TOY STORY 5, which sees the cast of characters face off against Lilypad, a children’s tablet.
Joan Cusack, who plays cowgirl doll Jessie, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how the movie tackles the topic of tech toys.
“I know every parent in the United States worries about their kids. When do you get them involved in tech? What does that do to their brains?” she explained. “And that’s what this movie’s about. It’s about humanity and playing and loyalty — and it makes me cry.”
Greta Lee, who voices Lilypad, agreed, saying, “Playing her was extremely cathartic. She’s this thing that has held so much power within my house and has been a very complicated source of consideration.”
TOY STORY 5 takes on a subject that parents have been struggling with for years now, and will hopefully encourage young viewers to put their tablets down and play with toys.
The fifth movie in the beloved franchise arrives in theaters this Friday, June 19.
Read Next: This Is How Tom Hanks and Tim Allen Describe TOY STORY 5
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