Wow - I wouldn't have expected so many good experiences - my children must be more along the lines of MomX2's. We have real problems with computer games - both boys, but DS4 even worse than DS6 - he's like a little addict being taken off a drug. And the whining and nagging goes on for days and weeks after they've been allowed on. They were fine before they discovered non-educational games, but now there's no going back from the world of beepclickbeepgameoverwelcometolevelfiveclickbeep.
I saw a documentary a few weeks ago about the addictive effects of gaming machines - the constant stimulus of light and sound apparently does trigger the release of chemicals in the brain which can be addictive in some people. I really think my children have this tendency, although most people don't believe how bad they are until they've seen the horror for themselves.
It's a shame, as I really can see the potentially positive side, as Lori points out. We won't be having a DX or XBox in the house in the foreseeable future. Maybe when they're older and have more self-awareness we'll give it a try, in a very controlled way.
