This whole web of online interactions between Duolingo's team and other celebrities, media outlets, and organizations has also made me reflect on what seems to be happening here. Get ready for it: people are having fun.
There have been a lot of think pieces on why this is such a smart marketing move from Duolingo, and their unique brand of unhinged social media presence has been a recipient of admiration for a long time.
But what about others' willingness to jump into the fray of this unhinged online joke so quickly? Being unhinged online isn't part of the WHO's strategy, nor is it necessarily part of Dua Lipa's.
I think the people behind the keyboard at every one of these brands are yearning to take part in something that's, well, just silly & goofy.
Companies, organizations, and even celebrities are no longer faceless entities that only speak to you in weird marketing jargon. Or at least, the ones who cut through the noise aren't doing that. Social media has broken down a lot of those boundaries, and Duolingo is an example of a company who is taking advantage of this in a meaningful way.
There are people behind these screens. They want to have fun, just like you want to have fun. They want to show that they're a real person, and show that they see you (whoever you are, behind that screen) as a real person too, who can have a little giggle over something funny online.
There's someone at the World Health Organization running their X account who giggled as they wrote that tweet. (Yes, I'm still calling it a "tweet" even post platform rebrand, in honor of Duo.)
I'd love to hear your thoughts on Duolingo's latest stunt, and I hope it inspires you to share something silly with someone today—maybe with your followers! Vulnerability begets vulnerability, and when you humanize yourself, others let down their walls too. So why not think about the fact that we're all just ants on a spinning rock and have a little giggle together?
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