Fights can sometimes happen to even the most peaceful of people. Sometimes, there is little choice but to act in self-defense or the defense of others, and even if there are better options, there is not always the time to think about them.
If you do get involved in a fight, it might be tempting to open up your social media to vent or see what others are saying about the incident. That could be a costly mistake.
Your content could be used against you
Let’s say you take to social media to share your astonishment that, for the first time in ten years, you had to raise your fists and engage with someone. You want to share this in part to release some of the stress, and in part because you know how amusing or astounding your friends will find it. The problem is that your friends may not be the only people reading it. The other party, one of their friends, their legal team or a prosecution team may access it
A lot of information could get shared in that post and the comments posted in reaction to it. Maybe you mention how you made sure the person won’t be causing anyone trouble again, suggesting you did not just act in self-defense, but tried to teach them a lesson, by going further than was necessary. Self-defense needs to be reasonable and necessary, so anything that suggests you went further could put you at risk of assault charges.
Perhaps a friend posts a reply with a picture of you in your martial arts uniform when you were at college, with a comment about how the training stays with you forever. A prosecutor might use this to argue that this was no fair fight between equals, but a highly trained individual (you) against a weaker opponent.
Or maybe your brother comments about the time you got in a fight together, and the prosecution highlights it in court to suggest you have violent tendencies.
Rather than use your phone to post on social media, it is better to use it to find information and seek legal guidance as to what to do next.