Being a digital parent is an assignment that is not easy to handle. It is certainly something that is not always all that easy. However, digital parenting is a part of the expectations for parents these days. Without proper supervision, teens can make huge mistakes online as well as they can anywhere else. 

Are you the parent of a teenager? If so, chances are that you know the struggle of trying to keep them safe while also letting them live their life. That is what so many parents have to worry about these days. It is even harder when it comes to broaching Internet security and knowing how to approach disciplining them in the age of information.

Here are some easy digital parenting mantras that will make your job a little easier:

1. You Are The Parent

The bottom line when it comes to keeping children safe online is to remember that you are the parent and are in control. You get to set the rules for your children, and they are to obey those rules. You can make sure that the rules are fair to them while at the same time maintaining their safety. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, that is what you are supposed to be doing as the parent.

2. The Internet is a Privilege, Not a Right

In the same vein, kids and teens might need to periodically be reminded that their Internet use is a privilege granted to them, not a right. From their persepctive, widespread Internet access has been available to them for as long as they can remember. For this reason, it can be easy for teens, tweens and even young kids to feel entitled to have continuous Internet access from their phones or other digital devices.

If you've ever had to persuade your child to put down the game controller and go outside -- or if you have to coax them away from their smartphones to eat a well-balanced meal -- you already understand the impact that technology can have on physical activity and diet. While modern innovations make academic research easier than ever, they also come with a whole host of health risks, and teenagers face a bigger threat than anyone else. 

It's no coincidence that obesity rates have skyrocketed in the United States right alongside innovation. While great thinkers can harness new technology to make the world a better place, there are downsides to modernization too.

Knowing what parental control options are out there is essential to any parent whose children have reached the age where they can go online by themselves.

Kids can easily stumble across inappropriate content, or they might go looking for trouble online. In either case, some of the following options might be useful components of the parental controls you use to keep your kids safe every day.

• Site blocking and Content Filtering – blocks inappropriate sites based on algorithms that determine content, can be purchased software or a built-in component of your PC or the search engine you use

• Keystroke Logging – keeps track of user names and passwords entered online

• Time Allowance – controls duration and times of day when Internet use is allowed

• IM,Chat, and Email Logging – keeps records of both sides of virtual conversations your child has

• Built-in Controls – almost every computer, phone, and gaming console has options for parents to filter, limit, or block certain features of online use

• Web-based services – monitors your child's online activity, delivers regular reports to you, and usually alerts you immediately if dangerous activity is detected

• Parental Involvement – knowing where and when your child is online and actively enforcing household rules about Internet use.