A few months ago, I started creating content for social media. Not because I want to be famous. Not because Im seeking attention. Simply because it makes me happy. I enjoy filming recipes, sharing little snippets of daily life with my daughter, small glimpses into our home. Nothing staged, nothing polished or professional. Just ordinary videos from the kitchen or the sitting room, while I go about my normal routines.
From the very beginning, my husband started feeling uneasy about it. At first, hed make small remarks. Why was I doing it? Who on earth would watch me? What was the point of uploading these videos? I kept telling him that I wasnt looking for anything, that it was just a way for me to unwind. But he didnt see it that way.
One day, he came right out and said that I must be doing it to attract the attention of other men. That I wanted people to fancy me. To watch me. I was stunned, honestly, because I couldnt see where this was coming from. My videos are about food, or my daughters packed lunch, or a recipe Ive managed to pull off. Im not parading around in a swimsuit, Im not dancing, Im not showing off my body.
The strangest thing is, I have all of 99 followers. Ninety-nine. And half of them are family cousins, aunts, old school friends. I told him this. I even showed him my profile and the comments people left. Still, he insisted that it wasnt about the number, but about my intentions. That I was looking for something.
That was when the arguments started. Every time I pulled out my phone to film something, hed give me a funny stare. If I posted a video, hed ask who had watched it. If someone left an emoji, hed assume they were flirting. Once, he even asked me to show him my private messages even though they were empty. He said that I was disrespecting him as my husband.
It got to the point where I stopped filming so freely. Now, Id think twice before posting anything. I felt as though I was constantly under watch. What started as an enjoyable hobby turned into a source of friction. He kept saying I was changing, that I wasnt the same person, that I just wanted to show off. All the while, I just felt like I couldnt do anything without him twisting it into something it wasnt.
Even now, I post much less than I used to. Not because I dont want to, but because every post seems to become an excuse for a new argument.
Sometimes I wonder: what should I do?
Perhaps the biggest lesson is that if a simple pleasure begins to feel like a burden, its time to have an honest conversation about trust. Sharing small joys shouldnt chip away at your peace and no hobby is worth losing yourself over.
