Popular media personality reveals why she felt wave of shame after stranger recognized her child from Instagram: Triggered a shift

For Heidi Anderson, sharing her life online was second nature—until her digital footprint unintentionally became her son’s.Heidi has been in breakfast radio and reality TV, and she’s a well-known public figure in Perth.An Instagram presence comes with the territory.But she didn’t realize what that meant for her son, Memphis, until a shopping trip changed everything.The five-year-old had been with his grandmother at the shops at the time.

A man had walked up to them to say hello.“He simply said, ‘I follow Heidi on Instagram,’ and that was it,” Heidi told Kidspot.Those five, seemingly innocent, words made her heart sink.“I wasn’t with Memphis this time.He was out in the world without me, and someone recognized him—not because they knew him, but because they knew me,” she said.

Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update.Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story.

“It was the first time I realized that my digital footprint, the stories I’ve shared, the moments I’ve posted, had unintentionally become his.And the truth? I felt an immense wave of shame.”She questioned whether she had really thought about what hitting ‘post’ on his photos meant.

She wondered if she was truly protecting him in the ways she wanted to.In the moment, Memphis didn’t think twice about the encounter with the stranger.“He waved and said hello—he’s a friendly, confident kid,” she explained.“But for me, that moment triggered a shift.It wasn’t about one friendly stranger; it was about the bigger picture.”Previously, conversations about boundaries and safety were frequent in their household, but Heidi’s focus had primarily been on those he knew.“I had focused more on the people in his immediate environment, the ones we know, because statistically, that’s where most harm happens...