To DS or Not to DS?

That is the question, at least in my mind lately. My 5-year-old has discovered this machine called a Nintendo DS. He does not yet own one, and I can see the seeds of discontent have already been planted.

He observes plenty of boys entertaining themselves with one while they wait for their siblings to finish basketball practice, wait for a parent to pick them up from Tae Kwon Do, or even bring them to Sunday school!

Often, these same boys are so engrossed in their game that they have no interest in sharing their experience with my son—so wrapped up are they in the toy that they cannot be unglued from the screen, even to discuss what it is they are playing.

I am resisting the pressure to buy him one because I feel they, along with iPods, contribute to a growing lack of civility in our society.  How many times have you encountered an iPod-wearing teenager, avoiding eye contact and walking alo,g
apparently oblivious to your having said, “Hello?"

On the other hand, what is the harm in allowing my son to have a DS to entertain himself on those long drives to our vacation destination? Or are those road trips better spent bonding as a family through games of “Twenty Questions, ” or  though our children’s own imaginary games such as our own, “Submarine vs. Giant
Angler Fish?”

The DS could be allowable for those times of occasional boredom when a book, for once, seems like an interesting diversion to my son. My question to moms: What is your opinion on these devices–are they harmless fun or are they negatively impacting the way our children interact with those around them? I know it’s apparent I’ve already made up my mind on this issue, but I truly wonder if I am exaggerating the danger here and if there are hidden benefits I may not have seen.

If you allow these entertainment devices for your children, do you have boundaries for their use? If you feel like our kids are growing more socially disconnected from people around them as a result of these devices, I’d like to know that too.