On March 31, 2020, COVID had just shut down the world and sequestered me in my house, leaving me to scour for a new hobby I could do solo. Thinking of all the possible projects I could dive into, I settled on expanding beyond English by picking up a new language. I started off with Korean, but I now spend most of my time on Japanese. What seemed like a perfectly innocent quest for knowledge began my long, tortuous language learning journey with Duolingo, an app designed to help users develop their understanding of and learn different languages.
Back then, I had a toxic relationship with the app, constantly going on and off of it. That April I randomly decided to learn for two days, then took a break until September 2021. I logged on to the app for a grand total of four days that month, then chose to take a slightly lengthy three-year-long hiatus from my studies.
Finally, on Feb. 20, 2023, I decided to commit to a language learning journey with the owl. This time, I thought, I was in it for the long haul.
Little did I know, I had signed up for a year of guilt-tripping.
Since starting, it was as if I signed a contract. There’s no denying that the app knows how to keep someone hooked. It starts with seemingly harmless notifications. Some are normal, just reminding me to do a lesson. Some are even sweet, inquiring about my absence from the app with a precious “What’s wrong, babe?” when I took a three day leave from learning, with. that fiendish green owl mascot named Duo asking to “fix it” so that we can keep progressing. While it may seem stupid, Duo’s prodding would work; I would continue to open the app and complete my daily lesson with pride. Pride that I am keeping my streak, which the app proudly displays as a widget on my home screen, as well as one on my lock screen. It reminds you to continue, leading me to endlessly ogle and obsess over how often I used the app.
As I kept learning, I realized that I’m no longer doing it for my own happiness and self-betterment, but for the owl. I am doing it to keep that glowing number next to my name every day I continue the streak. But if anyone asks me what I’ve learned from my consistency, I’ve realized I don’t know, that I haven’t learned anything on this ridiculous app. Doulingo’s priority, his insidious agenda, is consistency, not fluency. He believes that the more I stay on the app, the more I learn. But if my streak is so long, how come I can’t even say my name in a language other than English and Portuguese? He wants me hooked, dwelling on keeping my streak instead of actually learning.
By the third week of my longtime streak, I learned that streak freezers were not my friends. They were the enablers of my tip-toe relationship with this app, as even if I missed a day, it would freeze my streak for up to two days until I got back, allowing me to continue where I left off. I was initially grateful for it until I realized that, even if I wanted to take a breather from Duolingo, they would not allow me a drop of peace for two days. In those two days, Duo pesters me until I feel guilty about my lack of commitment and come back to continue.
Not only did Duo take over my phone, but he also took over my preferred outlet of social media, TikTok. With his multiple verified social media accounts, the green owl constantly appears on my For You Page through Gen Z-specific videos. Instead of growing the appeal of the program, these videos serve as a reminder that he is always watching whenever I see his green face. Comments are filled with fellow TikTokers who recall also being haunted by the owl, others agreeing with them. But I’m starting to suspect that Duo’s strong social media presence is no longer mainly for innocent engagement, but it’s a torture tactic to bring more people into their web of guilt. It feels like a scheme to keep the owl on my mind until I do what it needs me to do.
Since that February, I have continued my streak. I have kept him happy. It has become a part of my daily routine. Wake up, get ready and do my daily lesson. When I don’t complete it, I have to face that angry green blob staring at me from my phone’s screen. Nevertheless, the adventurous green owl rewards me with quests and praise from friends who have been notified about my achievements, only to encourage them to do the same. It has been 485 days, with many, many, streak savers, that I have been consistently using Duolingo. That he has been satisfied with my achievements.
But I can’t help but wonder: How long can I keep him happy? Can I keep going? One thing is certain, it is this; it’s necessary to raise awareness about Duo’s manipulation. I, as well as the rest of Duolingo’s users, must become more mindful of how we react to Duo’s accusatory messages and relentless social media appearances. It’s time to take back control from the bird.
