Jennifer Lawrence has a message for Instagram users

Jennifer Lawrence has a message for Instagram users after finally joining the social media platform: be careful what you say because “I’m the baby”.

The Oscar-winning actress made her Instagram debut this week after years of staying away from having a public social media account. Now, she is already using the platform in typically playful fashion, warning followers about the impact of negative comments.

In an Instagram Story shared on Thursday, September 10, Lawrence posted a black screen featuring a message asking users to “be mindful” that “any mean or aggressive comments can negatively affect the baby”.

Photo: Photo: Instagram @JLaw

She then added the punchline: “It’s me. I’m the baby.”

The post appears to be a humorous take on the way celebrities and public figures are often subjected to harsh comments online, with Lawrence turning the warning towards herself. Her debut on the platform has already attracted significant attention, with her verified account quickly gaining hundreds of thousands of followers.

Lawrence joined Instagram on Wednesday, September 9, using the handle @jlaw. Her preferred username, @jenniferlawrence, was already taken by another user, prompting the actress to acknowledge the situation with a joke in her biography: “jenniferlawrence was taken.”

Her arrival on Instagram marks a notable change for an actress who has spent years publicly expressing little interest in social media. Lawrence previously said she was not good with phones or technology and had described social media as a “weird enigma”.

She has, however, admitted to being more involved with the internet than her public absence might suggest. Lawrence previously revealed that she has used an anonymous TikTok account and has even joked about getting involved in arguments in comment sections while remaining unidentified.

The actress has also spoken about why she has been reluctant to put herself online. Her decision to finally create a verified public account comes after more than a decade without a major public social media presence.

Lawrence’s first steps on Instagram have already given followers an indication of the humour they can expect from the account. Rather than making a carefully curated celebrity introduction, she has leaned into jokes about the platform and the experience of being online.

Her Instagram arrival also comes as her Hollywood career remains busy. Lawrence is set to return as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, which is scheduled for release in November. She is also attached to Martin Scorsese’s upcoming What Happens at Night, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Jared Harris.

The actress is also a mother of two with husband Cooke Maroney, though the couple have kept details about their children largely private. Lawrence’s decision to joke about being “the baby” therefore adds another layer to her characteristically irreverent approach to public attention.

After years of avoiding a public Instagram presence, Lawrence appears to have arrived with one clear request for her followers: if they are going to comment, they should keep it kind.