The psychology that is normally at play in the behavioural footprint that a deleted post tends to point to is a subject that can lead to some fascinating conclusions. Whether it’s Conor McGregor’s regular tweet-and-delete behaviour late at night when taunting a would-be opponent, or 50 Cent’s habit of stirring up drama before deleting the original post, there’s plenty at play. But let’s put aside comments about specific celebrities and influential stars and broaden our analysis to the human side.
Unfiltered intent shows us behind the curtain
A celebrity is someone who is acutely aware of the PR side of things, especially if they're in the influencer space. That said, there is also a human beneath the airbrushed image, and a deleted post is often a crack that reveals something of the real person underneath. This is not to say that celebrities who never delete posts are inauthentic, but that a deleted post is often a sign of a disconnect between public image and private sentiment.
Mass deletions tend to be more strategic
Clearly, there is a difference between a late-night or impulsive post that has been judged and needs to be removed with the benefit of hindsight and the mass deletion of dozens of posts. The latter tends to point more towards a pivot in strategy, such as an influencer moving away from pranks and inflammatory content made in their youth to becoming a crossover media star in later adulthood.
Timing often reveals thought processes
If we go back to the case of a single deleted post, the timing can tell us something of what the celebrity may have been thinking. In cases where the post is only up for a few minutes, it may well be that they have leaked a secret, suddenly realized they have overstepped the mark, or that their PR agent has seen it and taken instant action to preserve brand integrity. Posts that stay up for several days before being deleted are more likely to be the result of mounting press pressure.
The impact of deletion has to be considered
The so-called "Streisand Effect," where the act of deleting a controversial post draws far greater attention to the matter at hand than the original post, also needs to be considered. The point here is that there may be cases, often involving anti-hero-style influencers who caught controversy, that deliberately use this method as a means of free publicity, and there are also cases where it happens inadvertently. Considering who the deleted post came from originally and the context in which it was posted and subsequently removed can help us understand the underlying intention.
Hidden biases tend to be removed quickly
If the post is quickly deleted by someone who doesn’t tend to court controversy or attempt to divide opinion as a means of self-promotion, it is likely that it represents an accidental slip-up. In many cases, the error will take the form of a hidden bias suddenly being exposed, the unintentional revelation of a political leaning that runs counter to the public image, or personal animosity that could harm the brand. We can think about this as an overflow of private opinion and belief into the public realm by someone who is famous for things other than their core beliefs, such as athletes and musicians.
The lack of online amnesia
The bigger the celebrity and the more followers they have, the more likely thousands of people are to see what they post the minute it goes live. It only takes one person to screen-grab something shocking or unexpected for the online world to remember it forever. The screen grab quickly becomes the news story and is recirculated countless times in a matter of minutes, with the discrepancy between the original social account that no longer displays the post becoming increasingly prominent.
The erosion of trust in public figures
The more often a public figure tweets and deletes, the more likely they are to harm the level of trust their fans and followers have in them. While some will enjoy the drama and resulting speculation, many will grow tired of what they read and switch off. For example, the more times Conor McGregor engaged in late-night deletion sessions on X, the more it fuelled talk of his instability and unreliability when it came to getting back into the ring.
Deletions as insights into the original poster’s fears
Matters of politics and social policy are often some of the most divisive, with social media typically amplifying differences of opinion in an increasingly tribal world. When a post steps into this part of the online conversation and is then deleted, it can point to an underlying fear. This is not to say that the original poster is scared of being exposed, but rather that they fear their brand being associated with a hot-topic debate that pulls them too far from their core focus. In many ways, this is understandable in an age when public figures and brands are increasingly being pushed to share their opinions on complex issues far beyond their sphere of expertise.
Final thoughts
A deleted post doesn’t necessarily have to be something that the poster has deemed incendiary and damaging to their reputation. Something as simple as accidentally posting the wrong score in a football game, linking to a list of reputable casinos in Canada when you didn’t mean to, or uploading poor-quality images are all reasons someone may tweet and delete.
The key is to avoid jumping immediately to a conspiracy or drama and step back. By considering the context of the post, the content of the post, and the time at which it was posted, you can learn a lot about the wider picture.