What should you assume about anything posted on social media?

When considering anything posted on social media, the correct assumption is that it is public and permanent. This perspective is critical in understanding the implications of sharing information online. Once something is shared on social media, it can be viewed by a wide audience and may be seen by individuals outside of your immediate friend or follower circle.

Social media platforms generally have settings that allow users to control visibility to some extent, but even posts marked as private can sometimes be shared, captured, or otherwise disseminated by others. Moreover, social media companies often retain data even after content is deleted by the user, leading to an understanding that once something is online, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to fully erase it from the internet.

In contrast, the idea that posts are private and secure does not hold, as privacy settings are not foolproof, and users often inadvertently share information more widely than intended. Similarly, while some posts may be deleted, there is no guarantee this will happen, and many people assume their content will remain available indefinitely. Limited visibility, while true in certain contexts, does not accurately encapsulate the broader reality that the potential for public exposure is significant.