Pixar needed a hit. The DisneyThe Walt Disney Company is an American multinational mass media and entertainment organisation.-owned animation studio ruled the 2000s, but recent years have been tough.¹

Enter Inside Out 2: Pixar's latest film has revived the studio's fortunes.² 

It is a sequel to a 2015 film about the inner workings of the mind of an 11-year old girl called Riley. In the first film, colourful characters based on Riley's main emotions - Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger - helped her deal with moving to a new city.

The sequel picks up two years later. It sees a new band of emotions appear as Riley hits pubertyThe time in a person's life when they go through physical and hormonal changes, changing from being a child to being an adult. . Envy, Embarrassment, EnnuiA feeling of boredom and dissatisfaction that comes from having nothing to do or no excitement. and their leader Anxiety, clash with the old guard over how to steer Riley through ice hockey camp.

The film's storyline chimes with one of the biggest news stories of the year, the rise of anxiety among teenagers.

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, about something that lies ahead in the future.³ You might feel anxious over an exam or a friendship. Everyone feels anxious sometimes. But extreme anxiety can be a medical disorder.

We have seemingly entered a new age of anxiety.⁴ A survey earlier this year found that 28% - or almost three in every 10 - 12 to 18-year olds in the UK have avoided going to school because of anxiety.

Some researchers believe that the anxiety epidemic is linked to technology. Social media brings a constant stream of notifications. One poll has found that 50% of teenagers feel anxious whenever they are without their smartphones.

A number of studies, writes Derek Thompson in The Atlantic, "show that teen anxiety started rising just as smartphones, social media, and front-facing cameras contributed to a wave of negative emotionality that seems to be sweeping the world."⁵

Yet some think that anxiety might not be entirely negative. In Inside Out 2, Anxiety and the other emotions have to work together to steer Riley through life.

Some experts agree. The Mental Health Foundation writes that anxiety is not necessarily a bad thing: "It can spur us on, help us stay alert, make us aware of risks and motivate us to solve problems."

Can a little anxiety be good for us?

Yes: Anxiety is good in moderation. Too much can cause us to freeze and worry, but a little can help us keep safe, recognise when something is not working and make us more conscientious.

No: We can make use of anxiety in some situations. But these positives are just silver linings. Anxiety makes us sadder, less active and more stressed, and it can make us act on our worst instincts.

Or... Our emotions are not good or bad for us in themselves. Their value comes from how they are used. Happiness can hurt others, hatred can be deserved, and anxiety has both useful and destructive ends.