Duolingo Transformed Me Into a Monster - CNET

Jan 23, 2023 ·

Duolingo is a free language-learning app that has become increasingly popular over the past few years. It is known for its user-friendly interface, interactive exercises, and fun activities. For many users, Duolingo has helped them to easily pick up new languages or brush up on skills in ones they already knew.

However, for one user identified as Sophia, Duolingo transformed her into what she calls a "monster." After downloading the app, she soon became addicted to gaining points, which are awarded for completing activities. She found herself doing lessons late at night when she should have been sleeping, and using more time than necessary to complete tasks in order to get the highest score.

Furthermore, Sophia's obsession with the app caused her to be far less productive at work, since she was constantly checking her phone just to see if she had gained any points. She was also so focused on the scoring system that she completely forgot about learning the language itself. As a result, she never reached the fluency level that she had hoped for.

Though it may seem like an innocuous way to waste time, Sophia's story highlights the potential negative effects of becoming too involved in the gaming aspect of language apps. While they often do a good job at helping people learn new languages, they may also lead to addiction and reduced productivity. Therefore, it is important to recognize when our technology use is getting out of hand and make sure that we're still focusing on the actual task at hand.