Your parents are misinformed, and you are as well. They are called supplements because they are just that, supplemental and not required. You are not missing out on anything if you do not take them. They get a bad reputation because many of the products out there are snake oil (most fat burners and testosterone boosters, for example, are just herbs and do nothing). Assuming you have a balanced diet, you do not need any supplements, especially when you are just starting out.

Your parents, like many who have no idea what the supplements actually are, probably think that they are steroids. They are not. Here's a quick rundown of the 4 you'll see people talk about the most.

Protein: literally powdered milk protein. It is a convenient and often cost efficient means of getting more protein into your diet if you are not getting enough from the rest of your food.

Pre-workout: usually caffeine, along with vasodilators (more blood to your muscles). Gives you more energy at the gym. A cup of coffee will do basically the same thing.

Creatine: A naturally occuring chemical used in the process of replenishing your muscles energry. Taking it at a supplement ensures that your muscles are saturated with the molecule (usually comes from eating red meat). Has been very well studied and shown to be safe and effective in many people to push out an extra rep or two. Most people would recommend this as the only supplement to take.

BCAAs: branched chain amino acids. A few of the building blocks of protein that the body does not produce and must be eaten. Only really shown to benefit when you workout fasted.

You can educate yourself more by reading about any supplement you may hear about (including the above) over at www.examine.com