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I rage quit Duolingo today. After a 1,569 day streak.
The warning signs were there all along. Mainly...I still can’t speak Spanish. Read a bit, sure. But formulating more than basic sentences? Or having an actual convo? Not even close.
Not to mention the lessons got longer. And frustratingly harder. I’d find myself cheating with Google Translate just to finish them. Pointless.
Why did I stick with it? Vanity metrics are intoxicating. The daily streak, the points, league rankings. It’s addictive. Which stings since y’all know how much I hate vanity metrics.
What finally pushed me over the top? Whelp, after an especially grueling lesson...the f*cking app froze on me. On the last question.
It was a slap in the face. A needed one. Immediate uninstall.
I’m not really talking about Duolingo here. We all have our processes and ideas that we’re pot committed to. Well after their expiration date. And the false sense of progress we get from bad vanity metrics keeps us going.
Only the outcomes that matter. So do yourself a favor. Don’t wait until your app freezes.
That said, I downloaded Babbel. Hasta luego.
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