The Death of Duolingo (2011 - 2023)

Let's face facts: Duolingo is a mere husk of what it used to be. It has shed its quirky gamification, abandoned its streak and league system for a meaningless progress bar, the forums are dead, and Gems are now the primary currency while you have to jump through multiple hoops to earn real XP. This is very different from the Duolingo many of us joined in the 2010s, which was supposedly primarily based on gamification and a streak system.<br><br>If you're anything like me, you were introduced to Duolingo by a teacher or a friend, and used it for years, watching it grow and constantly change. In 2014, it was great. In 2019, it was largely the same. In 2020 and 2021, Duolingo began to shed its iconic look, the green owl, and the gamification that had gotten you hooked in the first place. You shrugged it off, and continued using the app. In 2022, Duolingo officially abandoned its old system of Hearts, opting for a system of "Gems", which you would earn for completing tasks that gave NO XP. In 2023, Duolingo killed Streaks.<br><br>If the final nail in the coffin hasn't already been planted, whether it be the introduction of ads, the death of the forums, the abandoning of the Duolingo chamber, the death of the Hearts system, or the death of Leagues, let me state it here and now: Duolingo is dead. Death is a natural part of life, but the worst part of death is the grieving process. You continue to see something that looks like Duolingo, but it isn't there. It's a hollow husk. It's a shadow of what it used to be.<br><br>Duolingo is dead. If you're still using it, you're just grieving the corpse. Let's face facts here. I'd be fine with that if Duolingo hadn't abandoned its original system of gamification. I'd be fine with that if Duolingo had been able to innovate instead of copy off of other apps. I'd be fine with that if Duolingo hadn't abandoned its old users. I'd be fine with that if Duolingo hadn't abandoned its forums. I'd be fine with that if Duolingo hadn't abandoned streaks. I'd be fine with that if Duolingo didn't expect me to jump through multiple hoops for 1 XP. I'd be fine with that if Duolingo still used XP. I'd be fine with that if Duolingo hadn't abandoned Leagues.<br><br>Duolingo is dead. I realized this yesterday (March 13, 2023) when I opened the app, and realized it had shed its last remnants of gamification. I know some of you still cling to the hope that Duolingo will return to its old ways, when it was still fun. I'm just here to tell you that Duolingo is dead. If you're using the app, you're just seeing a hollow husk of what once was.<br><br>Duolingo is dead. Stop grieving its corpse.<br><br>+++++<br><br>EDIT: This is a copy of a post from r/TrueOffMyChest