How to Make Learning as Addictive as Social Media

I grew up in Guatemala, a small but vibrant country nestled just below Mexico. For those unfamiliar, Guatemala is not to be confused with Guantánamo—one is a land of rich traditions, colorful markets, and breathtaking landscapes, while the other is…........ well, where prisoners are kept. For Americans, here’s a way to understand it: if Mexico is America’s neighbor, Guatemala is “Mexico’s Mexico.” Just as the U.S. grapples with immigration challenges from Mexico, Mexico faces similar issues with Guatemala. But despite the challenges, Guatemala is a place of beauty, resilience, and, in my admittedly biased opinion, better Mexican food than Mexico itself.

Guatemala is also a deeply unequal country. Growing up, it didn’t take long to notice the stark differences between the lives of the wealthy and the poor. Education, which is often seen as the great equalizer, actually reinforced these inequalities. The wealthy could afford private schools and the best resources, ensuring they stayed ahead. The poor, on the other hand, were often stuck in underfunded schools, barely learning the basics, which kept them trapped in cycles of poverty. I grew up somewhere in between, not wealthy but fortunate enough to receive what I call “a rich person’s education.”

This wasn’t luck—it was the result of my mother’s sacrifices. My mom was a single parent, and as her only child, I was her entire focus. She poured every resource, every ounce of energy, into giving me the best education possible. She wasn’t wealthy, but she believed education was the key to a better life, and she was determined to make it happen for me. Thanks to her efforts, I excelled in school, and her sacrifices paid off. Eventually, I earned the opportunity to study in the United States, where I pursued a PhD in computer science.

Achieving this milestone was life-changing, but it also opened my eyes to the vast inequalities that persisted in the world. As someone who had benefited from an excellent education, I couldn’t ignore how many others didn’t have the same chance. Around ten years ago, while working as a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, I started to wonder: how could I give everyone access to quality education, regardless of where they lived or how much money they had?

This question became my mission. I teamed up with one of my PhD students, and we began brainstorming solutions. Education is an enormous field, so we decided to focus on one subject to start. We considered math, a subject both of us loved. We also thought about computer science, given our backgrounds. But we eventually landed on something surprising: foreign languages.

Why languages? The demand was undeniable. Over two billion people worldwide are learning a new language, and most of them—about 80%—are learning English. In many countries, learning English can transform your life, opening doors to higher-paying jobs and new opportunities. Unlike math or physics, where knowledge often needs to be combined with additional skills to boost income, language learning has immediate, tangible benefits. For example, a waiter who learns English can work at an international hotel and earn significantly more.

We also realized that traditional approaches to education, like building schools weren’t scalable or affordable, especially in poorer countries. But there was another option: smartphones. By then, smartphones were becoming increasingly common, even in remote areas. This realization sparked an idea: what if we created a mobile app that could teach languages for free?

And so, Duolingo was born. Our goal was simple but ambitious to make language learning free and accessible to everyone. To fund the project, we adopted a "freemium" model. Anyone could use Duolingo for free, supported by ads at the end of lessons. For users who wanted an ad-free experience, we offered a paid subscription. This model not only made the app sustainable but also created a small form of wealth redistribution. Wealthier users in countries like the U.S. and Canada effectively subsidized the education of users in countries like Brazil, Vietnam, and Guatemala.

Building Duolingo wasn’t without its challenges. One of the biggest was keeping users engaged. Smartphones are filled with addictive distractions like TikTok and Instagram, which make learning seem like the digital equivalent of eating broccoli while dessert sits right next to it. To compete, we decided to make the broccoli taste like dessert. We borrowed techniques from social media and mobile games to make Duolingo as engaging as possible.

One of our most effective tools is the streak feature. A streak tracks how many consecutive days a user completes a lesson, and users quickly become attached to it. Missing a day resets the streak to zero, which motivates millions to come back daily. Another tool is our green owl mascot, who serves as a friendly (and occasionally passive -aggressive) reminder to study. These notifications have become so iconic that they’ve inspired countless memes and even appeared in Saturday Night Live skits.

But it’s not just about gimmicks. At its core, Duolingo is designed to make learning fun and rewarding. Users aren’t just scrolling mindlessly; they’re achieving something meaningful. Today, there are more people learning languages on Duolingo in the U.S. than there are students learning languages in all U.S. high schools combined. This statistic isn’t just impressive—it’s proof that education can be accessible, scalable, and engaging.

What excites me most is the potential to expand this model to other subjects. Imagine using similar techniques to teach math, science, or history. Imagine a world where screen time isn’t something parents worry about but something they celebrate because it’s helping their children learn and grow. With smartphones in hand, the possibilities are endless.

As for Duolingo, it has grown into more than just an app—it’s a global community. It connects people from all walks of life, whether it’s a student in Guatemala learning English to improve their job prospects or someone in Japan perfecting their French for a dream trip. It’s a platform that breaks down barriers and fosters curiosity and connection.

This journey has taught me that meaningful change is possible, even in a world as complex as ours. And so, I’ll leave you with one final thought: education has the power to transform lives, but only if we make it accessible to everyone. Also, don’t forget to do your language lesson today. Thank you.