Grandpa Went Viral

Thylea Michele Thymes

In this heartwarming musical comedy, a beloved, old-school grandpa is determined to spend a few meaningful days with his tech-obsessed grandkids: Emma, a blogger preteen, and Matthew, who deeply idolizes Grandpa and even dresses like him. When the children receive new devices, Grandpa’s cherished one-on-one time is suddenly threatened. Determined to reconnect, he spins a bedtime story about a fearsome “tech monster,” hoping to teach them the value of real-life memories. Grandpa is completely against the use of technology. However, things take an unexpected turn when the kids secretly record and post a video of Grandpa’s story, which quickly goes viral as a warning to others about the monster. Afterwards, Emma and Matthew are resented at school, because their classmates’ parents took away their phones. The grandkids try to convince everyone that the Tech Monster is real while also trying to prevent Grandpa from finding out about the video. At the park, a stranger recognizes Grandpa and tells him about the video. Grandpa is disappointed with Grandkids and Matthew tells grandpa that he is old and the Tech Monster is fake. Afterwards, Grandma talks to Grandpa, and he recognizes that he isn’t entirely against technology itself, but rather fears losing meaningful time and attention with his grandchildren. Meanwhile, during the “One thing I remember and One thing I dream about project”, Matthew begins to notice how dependent many of his classmates have become on technology. Afterwards, he and his sister Emma decide they want to grow up differently—more present in their lives offline. Mom and Dad—representing Millennial and Generation Z parenting perspectives—highlight both the benefits and challenges that technology brings into modern family life. Grandpa Went Viral is a musical comedy about how generations learn from one another and how families can adapt while preserving genuine human connection in an increasingly digital world.