How to Make Learning as Addictive as Social Media

This announcement serves as a clarification: Guatemala and Guantánamo are entirely different places. Guatemala is located directly below Mexico, while Guantánamo is known for its prison facility, situated in Cuba. For Americans, an analogy may help: just as the US faces immigration from Mexico, Mexico experiences similar challenges with Guatemala. It's a smaller, poorer country with, incidentally, superior Mexican cuisine.

Guatemala struggles with widespread poverty, and while education is often heralded as a tool for equality, it can exacerbate inequality. Wealthier individuals afford excellent education, perpetuating their advantages, while those with limited means receive insufficient schooling, trapping them in poverty. This disparity is particularly stark in underprivileged nations.

Fortunately, I was an exception. Despite growing up modestly as an only child, my single mother invested everything in my education, enabling me to attend university in the US and earn a PhD in computer science. Inspired by my experience, a decade ago, I committed to creating equal educational opportunities for all. That’s the focus of my talk today.

At the time, I was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University and collaborated with my PhD student, Severin. Education as a whole felt too vast, so we began with one subject. Initially, we considered teaching maths or computer science but ultimately chose foreign languages for several reasons.

First, the global demand is immense—around two billion people are learning a second language, most often English. Mastering English can significantly improve one’s earning potential, making it uniquely transformative. Unlike subjects like maths, which require further study to yield financial benefits, learning English offers immediate opportunities. For example, a waiter fluent in English could work in a hotel and earn more.

To make language learning accessible globally, we turned to smartphones, as building schools everywhere was impractical. Smartphones are widely available and becoming increasingly prevalent. Thus, we developed a mobile app for language learning: Duolingo.

To ensure universal accessibility, Duolingo operates on a freemium model. Users can learn for free but may see ads after lessons. Those who prefer an ad-free experience can subscribe, and most revenue comes from subscribers in wealthier countries like the US and Canada. Meanwhile, users in poorer nations, such as Brazil and Guatemala, often use the free version. This model effectively redistributes wealth, with affluent users indirectly funding education for those in need.

However, delivering education via smartphones presents challenges. Competing with addictive apps like TikTok and Instagram is tough. Educational content must be engaging enough to draw attention away from these distractions. At Duolingo, we tackle this by making learning feel like entertainment—what we call "making broccoli taste like dessert."

One effective strategy is the use of streaks, which count consecutive days of usage. Users are motivated to maintain their streaks, as resetting to zero feels like a loss. For Duolingo, over three million daily users have streaks exceeding 365 days. Notifications also play a role, reminding users to return at optimal times, often 24 hours after their last session. Interestingly, when we inform users that notifications will stop after inactivity, many return immediately—a tactic that’s been jokingly described as passive-aggressive.

Our mascot, the green owl, has become a cultural phenomenon, with internet memes and even Saturday Night Live sketches highlighting its pushy yet humorous attempts to keep users engaged. While educational apps might never fully rival TikTok’s appeal, their meaningfulness can bridge the gap. Scrolling through social media often feels like wasted time, but learning provides a sense of accomplishment.

Duolingo’s impact is undeniable. In the US, more people are learning languages on Duolingo than in all high schools combined—a pattern replicated worldwide. My hope is that similar approaches can be applied to other subjects, such as maths or physics, turning screen time into meaningful educational experiences.

Before I conclude, let me encourage you: don’t forget to do your language lessons today! Thank you.