When Pixar announced Toy Story 5, some people rolled their eyes (me included). After all, how many times can Woody and Buzz come back to save the day?

For Disney, this wasn’t just about reviving a beloved franchise; it was about staying relevant in a world where holding an audience is harder than ever, because in 2026, attention has become the most valuable currency.

The film arrived just days after the UK Government announced a social media ban for under-16s from Spring 2027, amid growing concern about its impact on young people.

Together, they point to the same cultural tension: we’re more digitally connected than ever, yet we’re drifting further away from real, genuine connection.

The doomscroll effect

In Toy Story 5, the leading character Bonnie received a “Lilypad” device from her parents to help her socialise. But it quickly becomes the centre of her world.

Instead of connecting her with others through play, the device pulls her into toxic group chats and an endless stream of digital content, leaving her increasingly withdrawn, anxious, and disconnected from real life.

As Bonnie becomes more addicted to her device, she begins to neglect her physical toys. Jessie, Buzz, and a returning Woody set out on a rescue mission, not just to be played with again, but to help her rediscover real-world friendship, imagination, and connection.

At its core, the film represents something far bigger than children’s entertainment. We don’t just use platforms anymore. We’re absorbed by them.

That’s the doomscroll effect: attention trapped in an endless loop where content never really ends, it just refreshes.

And the data backs it up.

Research from Reuters shows that social and video platforms have overtaken news websites and apps as the primary way people access information for the first time. Attention is no longer moving between destinations; it’s being absorbed into feeds.

We’re consuming more content than ever but spending less time with each individual piece.

The result is simple but brutal: audiences aren’t harder to reach, they’re harder to hold.

Brands get seconds, not minutes - whatever survives the scroll.

Cultural shortcuts

Pandora have launched their Disney “Woody cowboy boot” charm in line with the film’s release.

The charm is instantly recognisable to audiences, carrying decades of emotional associations with childhood and nostalgia of the iconic film franchise. It becomes less about the character itself and more about what it represents: a moment, a feeling, a version of yourself you want to portray to the outside world.

Just like in Toy Story 5, where the “Lilypad” tablet functions as more than hardware, it becomes a social signal, shaping belonging and identity within Bonnie’s world.

The same logic now extends beyond physical objects, because what we consume in content signals as much about us as what we own.

The counter-shift: attention moving offline

Ironically, as life becomes more digital, many of the experiences people connect with most are physical.

People don’t remember content. They remember how something made them feel.

What this looks like in practice

This shift isn’t theoretical; it’s already shaping how audiences respond to real-world experiences.

In our work with We Are Adventurers, we delivered targeted influencer-led events to raise awareness of their forest school offering.

Whether that’s the excitement of adventure, the calm of a walk through the woods, or the comfort of a familiar story shared across generations.

The resulting content drove highly engaged responses, with a consistent theme emerging in the comments. Many parents were discovering the forest school for the first time but immediately recognised it as exactly the kind of experience they wanted for their children.

Time outdoors. Away from screens. Building confidence, connection, and independence.

Our work with influencers captures this shift in full, showing real-world experiences that can’t be replicated through a screen.

The brands that win attention in the doomscrolling era won’t necessarily be the loudest.

Is your brand ready to compete for attention in a world that barely pauses?

Because winning in today’s feed isn’t about saying more, it’s about being recognised faster, connecting with your audience on a deeper level and being remembered in ways that carry beyond the scroll and into real-world experience.

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