Duolingo story "I want to be like you" - inappropriate

amother

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 12:14 am

Anyone else read it and found it inappropriate? A lot of their other stories aren't great by frum standards, but I found that one really bad. They removed a story called "2048" once because it was scary, but they allow "I want to be like you"?

LovesHashem

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 1:45 am

dena613 wrote:

What is duolingo?

(A guess- a magazine for bilingual children??)

An app to teach you different languages.

amother

Ivory

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 1:49 am

For those of us who don't use the service, what was so inappropriate?

Is this service specifically focused on the frum community? If not, why do you expect it to conform to your sensitivities?

amother

Hyacinth

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 1:54 am

My 14 year old son is currently learning Norwegian on duolingo
(I think was easiest language to learn)
What kind of stuff was inappropriate?
I didn't understand

FranticFrummie

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 1:58 am

Google is my friend.

Surprised

Oh my!

This is NOT a family oriented app. I can't believe they are using this in schools. Rosetta Stone is much more appropriate - but it's not as "hip and edgy".

Some of the other examples on this thread are equally questionable. Click at your own risk.
https://www.reddit.com/r/shitd....._you/

amother

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 2:08 am

amother [ Ivory ] wrote:

For those of us who don't use the service, what was so inappropriate?

Is this service specifically focused on the frum community? If not, why do you expect it to conform to your sensitivities?

I don't expect it to conform to frum sensitivities. They have a lot of stories that don't, and I'm fine with that. But it is geared toward children, so stories should not allude to s-xual themes.

amother

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 2:10 am

amother [ Hyacinth ] wrote:

My 14 year old son is currently learning Norwegian on duolingo
(I think was easiest language to learn)
What kind of stuff was inappropriate?
I didn't understand

Duolingo Stories are only available for Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese. They're mostly cute stories with a small twist. You click through the story and answer a couple of reading comprehension questions. There shouldn't be anything inappropriate on the Norwegian course.

amother

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 2:12 am

The story technically isn't s-xually explicit, but since all the stories have the same pattern with a little twist in them, anyone can tell it's alluding to something even if they don't know what.

FranticFrummie

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 2:19 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I don't expect it to conform to frum sensitivities. They have a lot of stories that don't, and I'm fine with that. But it is geared toward children, so stories should not allude to s-xual themes.

I guess they figure that kids these days have a lot of exposure to pop culture and stuff. I've also read that it's used extensively with college students, which would explain some of the content.

Amother Hyacinth, were do you live? I've found that Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, and Danish were nearly impossible to grasp if you haven't grown up around in or near Scandinavian countries. I was so happy to find that in the Netherlands and Denmark 99% of people under 40 spoke English, and the rest of them wanted to practice "how goot they talk"!

DrMom

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 2:46 am

Not appropriate for kids. Honestly, I am so disgusted by attempts to push zxual material onto children. It's repulsive. You don't have to be frum to find it inappropriate.

https://www.reddit.com/r/duoli.....this/

FranticFrummie

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 2:56 am

DrMom wrote:

They really need to have these classes separated by age restriction, or at least rated G, PG, Mature, Advanced, etc. Parents and schools should be able to choose the level and then lock it in.

I seriously doubt your 5th grader needs to know how to flirt in Japanese.

amother

Rainbow

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 6:03 am

It’s insidious !
Thanks op for the heads up.
Part of the propaganda Indoctrination of kids.
Cultural takeover and blurry boundary pushing across the board.
Ugh stop sexuakizing kids and corrupting childhood.

DrMom

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 6:08 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

Why not just use clean stories?

Who needs an R-rated Swahili course?

Success10

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 6:09 am

I think this is one of those easter-eggs that they leave there to make the parents chuckle, since most young kids, Jewish or not, won't even begin to get what's being hinted at. I've seen it in other kids shows I used to watch, and as a teen started catching on. It's gross and doesn't make it ok, but it's unlikely to corrupt a small child.

amother

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 7:04 am

Because of the formula followed by most of the Duolingo stories, I think kids will pick up on the fact that there is a joke they're missing.

amother

Sienna

Thu, Dec 23 2021, 7:15 am

My kids just started using that app for Spanish. Super beginner level. Guessing (hoping) stories are a long way off and they will lose interest before then? Or do I need to be worried already?