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How to Make Learning as Addictive as Social Media | Luis Von Ahn | TED

TED

6.7M Views . 2023-10-26

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. If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas: https://ted.com/membership Follow TED! Twitter: https://twitter.com/TEDTalks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ted Facebook: https://facebook.com/TED LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world's leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit https://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. Watch more: https://go.ted.com/luisvonahn https://youtu.be/P6FORpg0KVo TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com #TED #TEDTalks #Duolingo

The speaker, originally from Guatemala, humorously clarifies the difference between Guatemala and Guantanamo Bay, then explains that Guatemala is a poor country where education can exacerbate social inequality by favoring the wealthy. The speaker, who benefited from his mother's sacrifice to provide him with a good education, decided to dedicate his work to providing equal access to education for everyone.

Guatemala
education
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  • The speaker, from Guatemala, explains that Guatemala is a poor country with a large disparity in education levels. He suggests that education often exacerbates inequality, as wealthier individuals can afford better educations, perpetuating their wealth.
  • The speaker, who received a privileged education despite his background, emphasizes his desire to create equal access to education for everyone. He decided to focus on teaching foreign languages, specifically English, as a starting point for his mission.

Insights from the YouTube Video Clip:

1. Why Guatemala is Like Mexico's Mexico: This clip uses humor to make a point about the complex relationship between Guatemala and Mexico. Just as the US experiences illegal immigration from Mexico, Mexico faces the same issue with Guatemala. This analogy highlights the interconnectedness of nations and the challenges of migration.

2. The Paradox of Education and Inequality: The speaker argues that education, while often touted as a tool for equality, can actually exacerbate social inequalities. Wealthy individuals have access to better education, perpetuating their wealth, while the poor lack the resources for quality education, perpetuating their poverty.

3. The Importance of Opportunity and Resource Allocation: The

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