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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu to overthink boyfriend never posts me on socials?

174 replies

rachel55488 · 28/06/2026 00:46

Hey girls so I really need advice here because it’s something me and my boyfriend keep arguing over. On WhatsApp he keeps changing his profile picture to a selfie of him. And has never posted me on his WhatsApp. And his instagram is also a picture of just him aswell. We have been arguing a good bit lately and he did have me and him on insta then we fell out bad one time and he actually changed it. I keep telling him I feel hidden away and he just keeps saying he never posts anything anyway (which he doesn’t) he has 2 sons and never even posts photos of them. Then he said but sure you have a selfie of you but my picture on WhatsApp is of me and my daughter and same with insta. To me that’s completely different. And I said this really seems like this is just for attention so other girls will message him etc. we’ve been together 6 months. He’s also a good bit older than me so we sort of see views different. He’s 42. I’m 31. I have tried to explain it annoys me but he still doesn’t change anything. Personally if a man came to me and said they were upset and felt hidden away I would change my profile pics straight away to make them happy? But that’s personally just me

OP posts:
IDrinkTeaAllTheTime · 29/06/2026 00:42

@rachel55488, I honestly think you need some kind of counselling. I looked through your recent posts all about this guy who you’ve only known for 6 months, and each one of them is about overthinking something he’s done or said, but also one where you say you want to have a child with him after only 5 months because you want to be with him forever.

If you’re honest with yourself, do you think a healthy relationship - especially one where you bring a child into it is the same one where you’re so needy and paranoid that you’re constantly dissecting his every word and move?

You need to leave this poor guy alone and focus on yourself and your daughter. None of this behaviour is healthy; it’s far too intense and fraught for only 6 months in when you’re just getting to know each other.

It’s also important to model healthy relationships to your daughter, and this isn’t it. She shouldn’t even have met this man yet.

VirtueName · 29/06/2026 01:33

IdentifyingAsAWoollyMammoth · 29/06/2026 00:34

Can we somehow find the boyfriend and stage an intervention to save him?

Maybe that’s what the strange toothbrushes were about.

JoyousOpalLemur · 29/06/2026 06:31

rachel55488 · 28/06/2026 23:31

Is it a red flag that he had me and him as his screensaver for about 2 weeks there then all of a sudden when I left him yesterday he has changed his screensaver ? Is that not strange looking

How did you know?

Did you mention it to him?

Does he actually exist?

JoyousOpalLemur · 29/06/2026 06:32

IdentifyingAsAWoollyMammoth · 29/06/2026 00:34

Can we somehow find the boyfriend and stage an intervention to save him?

Am genuinely starting to wonder if he exists.

There cannot be many humans in history who would put up with her behaviour.

rachel55488 · 29/06/2026 07:39

JoyousOpalLemur · 29/06/2026 06:31

How did you know?

Did you mention it to him?

Does he actually exist?

I seen it on his phone for ages then if was just changed

OP posts:
JoyousOpalLemur · 29/06/2026 07:46

rachel55488 · 29/06/2026 07:39

I seen it on his phone for ages then if was just changed

What did he say when you asked him about it?

Aside from everything else, the red flag would be a guy having a woman he's just met as the screensaver on his phone.

rachel55488 · 29/06/2026 07:48

JoyousOpalLemur · 29/06/2026 07:46

What did he say when you asked him about it?

Aside from everything else, the red flag would be a guy having a woman he's just met as the screensaver on his phone.

He literally was just like oh there was no reason why I changed it. But why would you sit and just think actually I’m taking that nice picture off my phone to see. Especially when I leave him for a few days? Although he seems to change his stuff a lot randomly

OP posts:
BMW58 · 29/06/2026 07:51

I think you are much too young to be dating anyone.

JoyousOpalLemur · 29/06/2026 07:52

None of the conversations you tell us you have with him seem remotely plausible.

Can you be honest with us and tell us if he does actually exist?

rachel55488 · 29/06/2026 07:54

JoyousOpalLemur · 29/06/2026 07:46

What did he say when you asked him about it?

Aside from everything else, the red flag would be a guy having a woman he's just met as the screensaver on his phone.

is this not a strange thing to do? Just randomly change your picture. I’m autistic so sometimes I find it hard to understand

OP posts:
JoyousOpalLemur · 29/06/2026 07:59

We're back to the same behaviour - something minor happens, you obsess about it and then create drama.

Why post on Mumsnet when you don't pay any attention to anything anyone writes?

IStillHearTheWaves · 29/06/2026 07:59

rachel55488 · 28/06/2026 10:16

Yeah but I mean a picture of the both of us.. I always think when someone has you on nothing it means they want to look single. A man should want to show his women off

Jesus Christ. Show you off?

atamlin · 29/06/2026 08:01

I’ve been in a relationship for 15 years almost and he’s never posted me on social media. I’ve never posted him either but we don’t post really. I know all of his friends and he knows mine.

Pinkgin00 · 29/06/2026 08:29

You are overthinking every little thing he does. Your relationship will not last if you don't stop this behaviour.

CodeAmber · 29/06/2026 08:44

Are you listening to anything anyone is saying?? YOU are the problem here

Waitingfordoggo · 29/06/2026 09:06

Are you honestly 31 with a child? 😯

IDrinkTeaAllTheTime · 29/06/2026 09:57

rachel55488 · 29/06/2026 07:54

is this not a strange thing to do? Just randomly change your picture. I’m autistic so sometimes I find it hard to understand

No, it’s not strange at all. Are you listening to anyone or are you just going to keep fixating on non-issues?

clearlyy · 29/06/2026 09:59

Mine doesn’t either. If I post I’ll tag him and he accepts the tag so it’s on his page too but he doesn’t really post pictures. I think he’s posted me maybe twice? He doesn’t like my pictures either. I don’t like it but I’ve got friends who also don’t do this. It’s quite normal.

toomuchfaff · 29/06/2026 14:53

You say you're autistic, is that self diagnosed?

I think you should put some of your queries into google, and see whether the Internet thinks youre behaviours are rational.

From Google;
Understanding the Root of the Behavior
Rather than abuse, the OP’s reactions stem from standard relationship dynamics:

Anxious Attachment: The desire to see a shared photo is often a request for reassurance and public commitment, especially at the 6-month mark.

Hyper-Vigilance: Because they already "argue a good bit," her focus on his selfies is an alarm bell telling her that the relationship is unstable. She is looking at his profile picture changes as proof that he is pulling away or looking for other options.

Different Relationship Scripts: The OP believes a loving partner should automatically change their behavior to make the other happy. When he refuses, she interprets it as a lack of love, which fuels more arguing.

Where the Behavior Becomes Unhealthy
While not abusive, the cycle they are trapped in is highly counterproductive. Constantly demanding that a partner change their profile picture after they have already said "no" crosses into hyper-fixation. It attempts to force a outward symbol of security rather than fixing the actual trust issues happening offline.

JHound · 29/06/2026 15:02

Before you said your ages I thought you were going to say you were both teenagers…

I cannot imagine caring about this unless he constantly posted everybody and everything on social media and steadfastly was careful not to include me.

JHound · 29/06/2026 15:04

rachel55488 · 28/06/2026 08:03

He told me his ex’s have been nightmares and he always got blamed or accused of stuff when he done no writing.

Oh “all his exes are nightmares” - this guy is a red flag. Bin him off. It’s only been six months. No great loss.

Edit - actually you are both red flags so maybe you deserve each other.

Sartre · 29/06/2026 15:06

DH and I don’t use social media aside from LinkedIn so we basically don’t exist.

BlueFahrenheit · 29/06/2026 15:58

Why do you want to be on socials?

Lentilcakes · 29/06/2026 18:27

rachel55488 · 28/06/2026 08:44

He’s said it about every single one that they always accused him of something and his ex wife always accused him and they where together 20 years

That’s red-flag central!

theoldsoandso · 29/06/2026 19:21

Drives me insane when people say “socials”. The only people I ever hear saying this are absolute morons.