Nintendo's new handheld is great IF parental controls used.
Parents need to know that this new handheld gaming system connects to the Internet; takes photos that you can store, manipulate, and then share with others; plays music and allows you to record your own; comes with robust parental controls; and can download new software from the online DSi store (in a manner similar to purchasing music from iTunes or the WiiWare store). Because of its connectivity to others, it is important for parents of young children to turn on the parental controls to regulate the communication. And with this device's ability to take photos and then allow users to manipulate or distort them, parents need to consider at what age they want to grant their kids the option to share those photos. We have set the age appropriateness of use of this device at age 7, with the caveat that parents of kids under age 12 activate and use the parental controls. Common Sense Media does not recommend letting kids under age 12 on the Internet unsupervised.