Julia Roberts is embracing Instagram

Julia Roberts joined Instagram to help keep in touch with friends, and the 50-year-old star has learned to embrace the benefits of social media.

The 50-year-old actress has kept her private life to herself over the years, but over summer she took the plunge and made the move onto social media, which has helped her understand the modern world her teenage children are living in.

She told 'Extra': "I do appreciate the platform. It's kind of fascinating. I love it to keep up with friends and see where they are ... I'm so glad that I joined Instagram because as a mother of teenagers, it's very educational ... I have a lot about myself and I'm 50! I can't imagine if I were 15!"

She admitted it's even had a small impact on her relationship with husband Danny Moder, as she has found herself wanting to share their sweet moments with the world on Instagram.

She added: "Well, you know what? He's an awesome human being. We have so much fun ... I said to him - we were lying in bed - I go to him, 'Can I post this picture?' 'Cause that's a weird question. New to my lexicon. And he was like, 'Okay.' "

Since joining the platform in June this year, Julia has amassed 1.5 million followers, although she only subscribes to 21 other accounts.

It's still quite the turnaround for the star, who said in 2016 that while she was "aware" of social media, it wasn't something she wanted to risk becoming lost in.

She said at the time: "Listen, I don't have my head in the sand. I'm aware of the different outlets, however you label them. It's like people talking about a TV show - I can be perfectly aware of the TV show and the story, but it doesn't mean I watch it ... I have other friends who watch it, and they tell me about it. I mean, we were talking about Instagram. Everyone has Instagram on their phone. And I just, yeah, [if I had it] I would be looking at it all the time."

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