Gamification gone wrong: stop the streaks

For the love of Duolingo, Headspace, and Peloton: please stop streaking.

What’s the highest streak you’ve ever achieved on a digital product? For me, it’s Duolingo. I once hit a streak of 60 days in a row of learning Italian, but then one leisurely Saturday, I was too busy shopping ’n’ socialising. When I got home at one minute past midnight, I got an email informing me that my streak had ended, and I was a failure, and this is why I can’t have nice things, and nothing I ever hope to achieve will happen.