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This is the Insanely Effective Way Duolingo Manipulated My Emotions into Signing Up for their Pro Level.

All that research into user experience? Money well spent.

We read a lot about how effective app companies are at manipulating our monkey brains with techniques designed to pray upon our desire for pattern, recognition, narrative, and other little dopamine triggers.

However, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it so elegantly and clearly done as when I lost my Duolingo streak last weekend due to a short hospital visit

I can’t even fault Duolingo for their use of psychological manipulation, because it was benevolent in that I do actually want to keep learning Spanish. I had a 248 day streak going, and realizing that I had run out of “streak, freezes” and it had gone back to one felt a little devastating at first.

If Duolingo had let me just grieve the loss of my streak, I probably would not be doing it anymore instead, they used some very clever sequences to get me back on board.

Here’s what happened:

Phase 1: Resignation

It started with no real fanfare. When I open the app it simply started a new lesson as if I hadn’t missed anything. Duolingo is already the friendliest…