What age is right for your first console?

[dsheinem]

Too young to have a console?
No.

Too young to have her own TV?
Definitely.

Yeah, this is what I was going to say. I was playing a TI-99 and C64 when I was 3 or 4, and an Atari 7800 by the time I was 7 or 8. However, I didn't have a TV in my room until probably junior year of high school. If I had it earlier, I'd have spent way too much time in there and not enough with family and friends.

My parents limited the amount of TV/games (for instance, in the summers I had to do 1 hour of reading to 1/2 hour of TV use) and it was the best thing for me. When I was real young, the TV was on a cart that could be put into a closet when not in use - out of sight, out of mind.

I'd get that TV out of her room and just have her play on the family TV. Do it before she gets to used to the idea of it being in there!

[Yukima]

I was kinda late when it came to video games - my first console was the SNES, and not until I was 12. I also didn't get a TV in my room until I was 16 or 17. I think it was good that it happened that way - minimal distractions, able to get homework done and done well, etc.

[crux]

I bought a DSi for my three year old sons a few months ago, so that they could each have a DS to play. I ration their television and game playing time pretty carefully, otherwise I don't think age is an important distinction aside from the type of games they play.

For the record, I won't ever put a television in any bedroom of my house. I firmly believe that a bedroom is a place of rest and television is not restful (and there are studies to prove it). I had a television in my bedroom growing up after about middle school, and my sleeping habits during high school were bordering on insomnia. I may have four televisions in the house already (five if you count the Vectrex), but they're only in two rooms.

As for myself, I don't believe I got my "own" console until PlayStation, though the NES and SNES became mine simply via the fact that I was the only one that played them. My brother is six years older, so I was the product of many hand-me-downs. Not that I'm complaining.

[AmishSamurai]

I got a N64 and a Gameboy pocket for my 6th birthday, but the N64 stayed in my Parent's room, and I was only allowed an hour or two a day. I actually never got a TV in my bedroom until I bought my own in my senior year, and even then it was just used for gaming. Then again, not a big TV person.

Just depends on how responsible your kid is. My sister would forget to eat, drink, or go to the bathroom if you didn't keep an eye on her while playing, while both my brothers usually keep control over themselves.

[Devezu]

I am in truly NO position to say this, but...

It comes to your reactions to whether or not her age is appropriate for her.

Make sure you sit her down and let her know that it is merely an entertainment device - a device made to have fun after all of your responsibilities are done with (like homework, etc.). That is all it is. Let her know that there are sooo many other things in life to worry about, like making and keeping friends, doing well in school, going to church, so on and so forth.

In conclusion. Yes, it is is an OK age as long as you give her boundaries and she understands and accepts those boundaries.

As for myself? Around the same age too. But now, I merely look the consoles and manage them/mod them, but not so much play them (not enough hours in the day (I tinker). My own father had this talk with me about it after seeing me sit with hours with sweat hands.

Edit: Dreamcast? Very classy choice. King Home Arcade lives on I guess.

[jfe2]

My 2 year old son has his own Gameboy Color. He doesn't quite understand the concept of beating a game, but he has a lot of fun with it. You would think that he would treat the thing like garbage, but he is actually very careful with it. I try to teach him to treat all of his toys like that, and it seems to be working so far.

I plan on giving him his own NES when he gets a bit older, as he loves playing Duckhunt and World Class Track Meet with the Zapper and Powerpad respectively.

[zarathstra]

Sounds like you're doing a good job of making sure she doesn't JUST play video games. Given that, I don't see any reason to worry. I got an NES when I was 6, and I turned out okay.

[Gnashvar]

Now days I think a 9 year old without a gaming device is odd. Go for it. But remember to set down rules on the use and what kind of games are allowed.

[Incognito D]

I had a console and TV in my room since I was about 8 and it never did me any harm (as far as I can tell )
I did share the room with a brother though, so I never really had the chance to disappear into it on my own for hours on end.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Got my Playstation at 3... well rather used my dads, but the console I truely owned first was a Playstation 2. That was when i was... 7?

Still way to early to have their own TV in their room though. Wait till about 12 for that.