A few months ago, I started sharing bits of my life on social media. Not for fame, or because I was chasing attention. I simply enjoyed it. Filming recipes, capturing sweet moments with my daughter, glimpses of our cosy homethese ordinary videos brought me joy. Nothing staged, nothing glamorous. Just little snapshots from my kitchen or the living room as I went about my day.
Yet, almost from the beginning, my husband grew uneasy. At first, it was casual comments. Why are you doing this? Whos even going to watch? Whats the point of sharing these videos? Id reassure him I wasnt after anythingit was just a distraction, something that made me happy. But he didnt see it that way.
One evening, he confronted me directly. He said I was posting to attract the attention of other men. That I wanted them to notice me, to watch me. I was stunnedutterly lost for words. My videos are all about food, my daughters lunchbox, a recipe that turned out well. Im not posing in swimsuits, dancing, or flaunting myself.
The most ridiculous thing is, Ive got ninety-nine followers. Ninety-nine, half of whom are my familycousins, aunties, friends from school. I told him that. Showed him my profile, the comments, the likes. But still, he insisted the numbers meant nothing, that it was the intention that mattered. He accused me of looking for something.
The arguments started. Now, every time I take out my phone to film, he looks at me suspiciously. If I upload a video, he asks whos seen it. If someone leaves an emoji, he interprets it as flirting. Once, he even asked to see my private messagesas if there were any to show. He said sharing my life like this was disrespectful to him as my husband.
It got to the point where I stopped feeling comfortable filming. Every post became something I second-guessed. I felt watched, scrutinised. What had started as a harmless hobby was now a source of constant tension. He said I was changing, that I wanted to show off. But I just felt I couldnt do anything without him twisting it into something it wasnt.
Even now, I share less and less. Not because Ive lost the desire, but because every post feels like it might spark another row.
What am I supposed to do?
