Facebook has adjusted its News Feed algorithm to bump posts that are more popular further up the feed while dropping content that fewer people have liked or commented on.

In a blog post announcing the change, Facebook said that a user can, on average, see almost 1,500 pieces of content on the site per visit. However, most of them are quickly buried, and content that may be relevant to a user is quickly out of sight and out of mind. Now, however, posts can rise up and stay at the top of the News Feed the more they attract likes and comments.

While this organic approach to displaying the News Feed makes sense, it could also spell trouble for people who have either posted, commented or liked controversial or offensive posts. While nothing on Facebook ever truly goes away, this new feature makes it entirely possible for content to stay afloat on top of the News Feed for a much longer time, buoyed by likes, comments and interaction.

While it’s obvious that Facebook users should be careful what they post, like, or comment on, this change drives the point home harder than ever. Don’t like anything you’d be embarrassed to see pop up later, and certainly don’t post anything offensive. You never know if it could wind up at the top of your (and your friends’) News Feeds for an uncomfortably long amount of time.

Even with these new changes, it’s still likely that you will miss posts from your favorite friends and pages. We have often encouraged our readers to use Facebook Lists to stay current and to optimize their newsfeed.

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