This article contains spoilers about Inside out 2.
In Disney Pixar’s blockbuster sequel Inside out 2, which hit theaters last week, a new character with a kinky orange hair and an awkward smile walks into the headquarters with two arms full of literal baggage. Her name is Anxiety and she is ready to take over.
The film, which follows the 2015 original about a girl named Riley and her sometimes competing emotions, now sees a 13-year-old Riley navigating friendships while also dealing with puberty. In addition, her original core emotions led by Joy (Amy Poehler), along with sadness, anger, fear and disgust, have been overtaken by fear (Maya Hawke) and her team of envy (Ayo Edebiri), shame (Paul Walter Hauser). ) and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos).
As anyone who deals with teenagers knows — including the experts Pixar consulted for the film — when it comes to puberty and the self-conscious emotions that come with it, things can get messy.
So with all these intense emotions playing out dramatically as characters on screen, is it okay for children to watch with fear?
“Our natural inclination as parents, when our children are afraid, is to protect them and keep them safe,” clinical psychologist and author Eileen Kennedy-Moore told Yahoo Entertainment. “But that’s the opposite of what any good therapist is going to tell you, because avoidance increases anxiety.”
And ‘growing’ is exactly what happens in the film, as Anxiety, the character Joy, sidelines on the control panel and literally starts pressing buttons. However, that doesn’t mean that fear as an emotion is necessarily a bad thing, Kennedy-Moore said.
“There has been a mountain of research showing that we perform best at moderate levels of anxiety,” says the author Growing Feelings: A Children’s Guide to Dealing with Emotions About Friends and Other Children, added. “I think one of the best things the movie does is show that fear can be useful, because Fear at the beginning of the movie does a better job than Joy at planning different things.”
Experts say moderate levels of stress and anxiety help people prepare — that means studying for the test, staying on top of deadlines and practicing for the big game.
“The lesson our children need to hear is that fear is not a stop signal. It is a sign that we are doing something new or challenging,” said Kennedy-Moore. “So it’s a good thing.”
When fear takes over
However, it is only when fear takes over that problems can arise. A pivotal scene in the film shows Riley suffering an anxiety attack after accidentally hurting her friend while playing ice hockey. She experiences complaints such as palpitations, sweating and stress.
Is this something that a young audience can also emphasize?
“[Anxiety is] a really cute, fluffy little thing that really means well but gets a little out of hand,” Betsy Bozdech, editor-in-chief of Common Sense Media, told Yahoo Entertainment. (The ratings site recommended the film for ages six and up, while Kennedy-Moore suggested ages seven.) “Her goal is to help Riley, not hurt her. And so she’s kind of positioned as the villain or antagonist in the movie, but she’s not a villain. She’s just someone who gets in her way.
“And I think that’s what fear feels like to a lot of kids, and to a lot of people in general. We don’t intend for it to take over and take control, but when it does happen, it’s very difficult to break that, to break that pattern.”
Bozdech saw the film with her 14-year-old daughter, who said she thought fear was portrayed in a “relatable” way.
“When I talked to my daughter about it, she said, ‘Yes, it can be a little disturbing to see the fear take control, but it’s also really affirming and can provide a way to talk about how it’s going on. feels,'” Bozdech said.
Sarah, a mother in Los Angeles who has an 11-year-old daughter who suffers from anxiety, told Yahoo Entertainment that she had no concerns about Anxiety’s role in the film.
“I thought the panic attack was powerfully illustrated and very relatable,” she said. “As a parent, I always try to find ways to normalize my children’s feelings and make them feel like they are not alone in their experiences.”
Her daughter, Amelie, who has suffered panic attacks, agreed.
“I remembered my panic attacks and how awful it felt to have them,” she said. “But it also made me feel normal, because I said so much. It just reminded me that it happened to me too and how awful that must be for Riley.
Talking to children about fear
Experts like Bozdech and Kennedy-Moore, who has her own podcast about kids navigating friendships, say films like Inside out 2 open the door to important conversations with children.
“If a child is prone to anxiety, I think that’s a really good thing to see,” Kennedy-Moore said, “because no matter what happens, [Riley] feels terrible – but then she gets through it.
Whatever makes Inside out 2 – and this scene in particular – that the psychologist believes is worth watching is that the drama appeals to children’s emotions. They see Riley struggle and care about her and the emotions in her head.
“It gives families the tools, the language and the images they can use to have conversations,” Bozdech said. “If you know your child is dealing with anxiety, say, ‘Is that what it feels like for you?’ And they can say, “Yes, it feels like I’m in a whirlwind, but also paralyzed,” or “It feels like I can’t breathe.” And I feel like I need someone to remind me to look for the joy in my life too. ”
