How to make learning as addictive as social media | Luis von Ahn

TED Talks Daily · Sep 7, 2026 · 14:23

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When technologist Luis von Ahn was building the popular language-learning platform Duolingo, he faced a big problem: Could an app designed to teach you something ever compete with addictive platforms like Instagram and TikTok? He explains how Duolingo harnesses the psychological techniques of social media and mobile games to get you excited to learn — all while spreading access to education across the world.

This episode originally aired in 2024.

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