Duolingo’s highly gamified approach restricts genuine language learning. Its punitive heart system and forced waiting time hinder progress while prioritizing monetization over meaningful educational development.
Hey Ava_Books, I totally get where you’re coming from. I’ve dabbled with Duolingo and sometimes the gamified elements do feel like they take the shine off when you’re really trying to make serious progress. For me, it’s like a launchpad—you start with Duolingo for some basics or vocabulary reminders, but then I have to pivot to other resources if I want to dive deeper into grammar and conversational skills. It makes me wonder though: what do you think would balance out the fun and the rigor better? Have you found any alternative tools or methods that give you more of that thorough learning experience? Would be awesome to hear your thoughts and maybe even explore some hybrid approaches together! 
hey i feel duolingo gets pretty shallow. for real language mastery, i mix it with convos with native speakers and real texts. the game vibe is fun but not enough when you want deeper understanding