'I have 127,000 followers on Instagram, but one photo made me panic'

“Behind every decision that we make as public figures, influencers, people of interest online, is a consequence for our child.”

It was just a quick gym snap, but for Erika Cramer, it triggered a mental workout more exhausting than leg day. 

"Oh, wait a minute… is she going to tag me?” she had thought. 

For most people, it would’ve been a harmless post. But for Erika, a public figure and Melbourne mum of two, it sparked a spiral.

With 127,000 followers tracking her every online move, it’s not hard to see why she’s cautious.

“If you’re not careful, then their safety can also be at risk as well,” Erika told Kidspot.

Sharing online is second nature for Erika, until it puts her kids in the spotlight too. Image: Supplied.

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"They didn't sign up to be recognised" 

This wasn’t overthinking. It was a reminder: when you share your life online, you’re not the only one in the spotlight. Your family can end up there too and the power to choose what’s shared can disappear with a single tag.

The moment happened fast. A staff member at her local gym asked to snap a photo of her and her husband mid-workout for the gym’s socials.

Erika said yes. Then she froze: “I ran up to her after and said, ‘So sorry, I just want to make sure you don’t tag me.’”

Erika wasn’t worried about looking sweaty. She was worried about looking familiar.

“A gym is very local to you… then where do the kids go to school? I just get funny about that.”

And that anxiety isn’t reserved for the internet famous. Whether you’ve got 200 followers or 200,000, it doesn’t take much for sinister strangers to connect the dots.

Erika’s no stranger to being recognised in public.

“I don’t mind. I think it’s the best thing ever. I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I love meeting my community.’”

But what she doesn’t love is when strangers start recognising her kids.

“They didn’t sign up to be recognised at the airport… I don’t want them to go, ‘Oh, are you Erika’s son, the one who’s got eczema?’” 

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"I'm really aware" 

It’s a boundary she guards fiercely. One shaped by trauma within her childhood.

Erika was kidnapped at seven and is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

“I don’t live my life in fear, but I’m really aware.”

She believes Australia’s cultural mindset only adds to the risk.

“Australia is the country of ‘No worries, mate.’ But we need to stop thinking bad things can’t happen to us," she warned.

"We always say, ‘That only happens in America,' but it happens everywhere. And if we’re not careful, it could be happening to us too.”

Because it’s not just celebrities or influencers at risk. These days, anyone can blow up online and often faster than they realise.

One viral reel. A stint on reality TV. A small business trying to build a brand. That’s all it takes.

“I don't think anyone joins or does something to be the worst at it and to stay small,” she said. 

“If you're going to do The Block, you're like, ‘We can win this.’ And with that comes attention.”

Erika wants parenting interacting in online spaces to be aware of their visibility. Image: Supplied

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But attention has consequences and they don’t just follow you. They follow your partner, your kids, and the people you love.

That’s why Erika believes anyone trying to build a public profile, whether for income, impact or opportunity, needs to plan for privacy before the followers come flooding in.

“Behind every decision that we make as public figures, influencers, people of interest online, is a consequence for our child.”

Even something as simple as a workout snap at the gym can open the door to people who were never meant to find it.

Originally published as 'I have 127,000 followers on Instagram, but one photo made me panic'