14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo is one of the biggest and most successful companies out there, largely due to the fact that it has two very popular products currently on the gaming market. On the one hand, the Wii console, which is still experiencing heavy demand ever since its release a few years ago, and on the other, the DS, which sees various iterations, like the current DS Lite and the DSi, which has become a favorite for a lot of your children.
But the fact that the new DSi will arrive in North America at the beginning of next month has gotten a lot of people concerned, such as Arkansas Police Sergeant Adam Holland, who has issued a warning to parents about the impending launch of the DSi and the potential danger it bears as it can expose their kids to child predators.
He bases his claims on the fact that the new features, including built-in web browser and the new embedded cameras it has, will surely make chatting a more personal experience and will open up a new avenue for predators to take advantage of children. He does mention that the device has parental controls, but won't really change a lot of things, as the portability of the gaming console can elude some parents.
“Now not only can the children be contacted, but they can be asked to provide pictures, video,” says Sergeant Holland. “It's a common misconception that, if I have control of this environment within my home and our computer usage, I therefore control what my child has access to. And that's proving not to be the case [with the DSi].”
Although it might leave some kids exposed, let's not forget that a lot of cellphones and other devices also have built-in web browsers and cameras and, as of yet, no dangerous cases have been sighted. Let's hope that people will understand that the DSi is primarily a gaming console and children won't use it frequently to browse the web.