What Duolingo Knows That We Don’t
October 17th, 2025
Photo: Bizzy Webb
Writer: Anushi Varma
Editor: Liv Bennis
On my latest social media detox, I decided to add a new form of media in my life: Duolingo. As a result of my many previous failed attempts at learning French on Duolingo, I was determined to start fresh by learning Latin. I’m sure many of you are very familiar with the Duolingo Owl, the most unique marketing tool I’ve seen utilized by a language-learning app.
What stands out about the Duolingo Owl is its notoriously persistent and hostile reminders to complete your daily lesson. Whether you’re about to lose your daily streak or you’ve been ignoring Duolingo for a few days, you’ll see the Owl turn remarkably distressed, angry, and discouraged on the cover of the app in an effort to convince you to return to the app.
Over the past 45 days that I’ve used the app, I’ve felt a variety of emotions in response to this fictional mascot’s facade: amusement, annoyance, and concern, just to name a few. Yet, at the same time, there’s a reason I haven’t outright deleted the app: the sight of a perpetually distressed Owl that haunts the top right corner of my screen. Taking out not even five minutes of my day to fulfill a daily lesson isn’t objectively difficult. It’s actually the least of my responsibilities. In that respect, I kind of admire the Duolingo Owl’s bluntness. I should be taking accountability for my commitment to the goals I set to accomplish. Of course, the Duolingo Owl is significantly over the top, but the basic idea of requiring directness to accomplish goals resonates with me.
This year, living with six of my closest friends, I’ve made it a goal to be clear about my boundaries. Whether it’s investing time into scheduling a house meeting to discuss the maintenance of a clean house or asking my roommate for help with unloading the dishwasher, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for the value of being open and straightforward. As a result, I’ve witnessed an improvement in the way I perceive and value myself. Rather than succumbing to the negative qualities of a people pleaser, I feel motivated to uplift myself and my roommates to achieve our goals, both living and thriving together.
In an effort to respect others’ boundaries, needs, and feelings, we can sometimes neglect our own, reducing our ability to focus on our personal commitments. Being direct, in the appropriate setting, is not an innate skill, at least for me. I admit, it’s uncomfortable, especially when being direct with people you aren’t well-acquainted with. Yet, I am fond of being candid – like the Owl – especially in group settings, because I know that in our fast-paced college environment, we must prioritize standing up for ourselves and establishing our boundaries, needs, responsibilities, and goals. Speaking of goals, I should probably log back onto Duolingo.
