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 curly spray of orange hair and an awkward smile walks into headquarters with two arms of literal luggage. Her name is Kvíði and she is ready to take over.
The film, which follows the 2015 original about a girl named Riley and her sometimes competing emotions, sees now 13-year-old Riley navigating friendships while also struggling with puberty. In the process, her original core emotions led by Joy (Amy Poehler), along with sadness, anger, fear and disgust, have been overwhelmed by Anxiety (Maya Hawke) and her crew of Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos).
As anyone who’s dealt with teenagers knows — including the experts Pixar consulted for the film — when it comes to puberty and the self-conscious feelings that come with it, things can get messy.
So with all these intense emotions played out dramatically as characters on screen, is it okay for kids with anxiety to watch?
“Our natural tendency as parents, when our children are scared, 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 will tell you, because avoidance makes anxiety worse.”
And “grow” is exactly what happens in the movie, as the nervous character puts Joy aside at the console and literally starts pushing buttons. That’s not to say, however, that anxiety as an emotion is necessarily a bad thing, according to Kennedy-Moore.
“There’s been a mountain of research showing that our best results happen with moderate anxiety,” the author of the book. Growing Emotions: Children’s Guide to Dealing with Feelings About Friends and Other Children, added. “I think one of the best things the movie does is show that anxiety can be useful, because at the beginning of the movie, anxiety is doing a better job than Joy at planning other things.
Experts say moderate levels of stress and anxiety help people prepare—that is, study for the test, watch for deadlines, and practice for the big game.
“The lesson our children need to hear is that anxiety is not a stop sign. It’s a sign that we’re doing something new or challenging,” Kennedy-Moore said. “So that’s a good thing.”
When anxiety takes over
However, it is when anxiety starts to take over that problems can begin. In fact, a key scene in the film shows Riley dealing with a panic attack after accidentally injuring her friend while playing hockey. She experiences symptoms such as racing heart, sweating and stress.
Is this something that might stress out young viewers as well?
“[Anxiety is] a really cute, furry thing that really means well, but gets a little out of hand,” Common Sense Media Editor-in-Chief Betsy Bozdech told Yahoo Entertainment. (The rating site recommended the movie for ages 6 and up, but Kennedy-Moore suggested a 7.) “Her goal is to help Riley, not hurt her. And then she’s kind of the villain or the antagonist in the movie, but she’s not a villain. She’s just someone who goes her own way.
“And I think that’s how anxiety feels for a lot of kids, a lot of people in general. It’s something that we don’t mean for it to take over and take over, but when it does, it’s very hard to snap it, to get it to break that pattern.”
Bozdech saw the film with her 14-year-old daughter, who said she thought anxiety was portrayed in a “relatable” way.
“When I was talking about this with my daughter, she said, ‘Yeah, it can be a little frustrating to see anxiety take over, but it’s also very validating and it can offer a way to talk about how he’s feeling.’ ” said Bozdech.
Sarah, a Los Angeles mother of an 11-year-old daughter with anxiety, told Yahoo Entertainment that she wasn’t worried about the portrayal of Anxiety in the film.
“I found Panic Attack to be powerfully illustrated and very relatable,” she said. “As a parent, I am always trying to find ways to normalize what my children are feeling and help them feel that they are not alone in their experiences.
Her daughter, Amelie, who has had panic attacks, agreed.
“I remembered my panic attacks and how horrible it was to have them,” she said. “But I also felt normal because I connected so much. It just reminded me that this happened to me and how horrible it must be for Riley.”
Talking to kids about anxiety
If anything, experts like Bozdech and Kennedy-Moore, who has her own podcast about kids navigating friendships, say movies like Inside out 2 open the door to important conversations to have with children.
“If a child is prone to anxiety, I think that’s a really good thing to see,” Kennedy-Moore said, “because what also happens is [Riley] feels terrible – but then she gets through it.”
What does too Inside out 2 — and this scene in particular — worth seeing, according to the psychologist, is that the drama awakens children’s emotions. They see Riley struggling and think about her and the emotions in her head.
“It will give families the tools and the language and the images that they can use to have conversations,” Bozdech said. “If you know your child is dealing with anxiety, to say, ‘Is that how you feel?’ And they may say, “Yes, I feel totally like I’m in a storm, but also paralyzed,” or “It feels like I can’t breathe. And it feels like I need someone to remind me to look for the joy in my life, too.'”
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