I just dropped my 600 streak in duolingo because it just made me feel like clicking through a chore instead of putting genuine effort into learning a language. I’m looking into some alternatives now

I got hooked once. But its apple watch activity ring, at least my health is improved since then.

I hated this when battlefield did this with daily missions to unlock things. Like, fml, I just want to enjoy a complete game. Trinkets and skins mean nothing to me.

Streak addiction is real, I had one Snapchat streak years ago that was over 1500, the person it was with and I would send one snap a day of nothing really just to keep the streak going. It got to the point that the one snap was the only time I communicated with that person, and it was honestly a relief when the streak finally lapsed. I had a few times where I was camping with no signal and would literally go on hikes with no destination just to find phone signal to send my daily snap to them.

Number go up makes monkey brain happy, even when you’re aware of how dumb it is.

Un-Paywalled link:

https://archive.is/2025.07.25-064258/https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2025/07/25/from-facebook-games-to-a-llama-reminding-you-to-drink-water-the-rise-of-streaks-the-rewards-that-keep-you-hooked_6743699_13.html

Man that headline was so hard for me to read for some reason

Gamification.

Employers use it in lieu of paying living wages. Business employ the practice with rewards cards.

Humans physiologically crave competition and the sweet dopamine of accomplishment.