How do parents really feel about online video games?

My six-year-old son recently acquired his first videogame: Leapfrog Leapster. I've always had a soft spot for Leapfrog products ever since Leap and Lily showed him the sounds of the alphabet in The Letter Factory. But his instantaneous addiction to playing with the Leapster freaked me out. I'm a rookie parent, after all, and this video game thing is new to me. Where do online video games fit in?

So there's lots of information that says online video games are actually good for kids. That video games offer opportunities for kids to practice problem solving, logic and use of fine motor and spatial skills. Others recommend that parents make sure to actually play the video games with their kids so they know what's going on. And PBS Parents offers up a really solid tip sheet for choosing video games as well as talking to your kids about their use of these games.

But I want to know what other parents think of video games. How early did your kids start playing? What do they use? Are they online or using handheld games? What kind of time limits do you impose? How do you pick out games?

Sony Online Entertainment is also conducting a survey to find out what parents think of kids playing video games. Since we're all looking for more information on how online gaming impacts our kids, go tell them what you think.