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In a world where your smartphone knows your dinner cravings, artificial intelligence (AI) is venturing into the intricate realm of <keyword id="21340844" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="human-emotions" source="keywords">human emotions</keyword>. Imagine an AI that can gauge your mood better than your closest friend. This intriguing thing is very much happening, and it could reshape how we interact with technology. <h2>The quest for <keyword id="23059919" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="emotion-recognition" source="keywords">emotion recognition</keyword></h2>Human emotions are complex and often elusive, making them challenging to quantify. Researchers at Tsinghua University are fusing traditional psychological methods with advanced AI tools to create a clearer path to <keyword id="23285769" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="emotion-quantification" source="keywords">emotion quantification</keyword>. While humans might struggle to articulate their feelings, a considerable amount of work is being done to train AI to observe, quantify, and recognise various emotional states. Through technologies like <keyword id="23285768" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gesture-recognition" source="keywords">gesture recognition</keyword> and <keyword id="23285767" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="facial-emotion-recognition" source="keywords">facial emotion recognition</keyword> (FER), AI is preparing to become an emotional detective. As Feng Liu, a researcher at East China Normal University, noted, “This technology has the potential to transform fields such as health care, education, and customer service, facilitating <keyword id="21758007" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="personalised-experiences" source="keywords">personalised experiences</keyword> and enhanced comprehension of human emotions.” AI isn’t limited to one form of input; it combines a multitude of developments. For example, some techniques utilise EEG scans to monitor electrical activity in the brain, along with eye movement technology to gauge expressions. Other measurements, such as heart rate variability and electrical skin response, are also used to convert the intangible "emotion" into recognisable patterns. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113417607" title="A medical professor pitted AI models against his students to see who would score better on his tests. The results were shocking!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Multi-modal emotion recognition combines different perceptual channels — sight, hearing, and touch — to gain a more comprehensive understanding of emotions. Liu emphasises that “interdisciplinary collaboration between AI, psychology, psychiatry, and other fields will be key in achieving this goal and unlocking the full potential of emotion quantification for the benefit of society.” <h2>Why it matters</h2>So, why does it matter that AI is learning to be emotionally intelligent? In our increasingly digital world, the ability to understand emotions could enhance interactions with technology and improve our quality of life. This innovation could create personalised experiences that resonate with our emotional states, transforming AI from a mere tool into a valuable partner in our daily lives. Further, as <keyword id="19956983" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mental-health" source="keywords">mental health</keyword> becomes a top priority, the potential for <keyword id="23285766" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="emotionally-intelligent-AI" source="keywords">emotionally intelligent AI</keyword> becomes even more significant. Emotion quantification AI can help monitor an individual’s mental health and create personalised experiences — all without the need to involve another person. This could lead to a more supportive environment for those struggling with their mental health. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113412410" title="AI robots should not look like us, says Ex-Google robotics moonshot boss as he explains what he learnt at the company" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>However, this emotionally savvy AI isn’t without challenges. Issues of safety and transparency, especially regarding sensitive topics like medical and psychological counselling, must be addressed. Stringent data handling practices and privacy measures will be essential. Additionally, ensuring that AI can adapt to cultural nuances is critical to maintaining its integrity and reliability. The findings of this research have been published in CAAI Artificial Intelligence Research and can be accessed <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.26599/AIR.2024.9150040">here</a>.

AI is learning to be 'emotionally intelligent' — here's why that matters

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer of Mastercard, is one of BI's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-innovative-chief-marketing-officers-2024-6">"Most Innovative CMOs"</a> of 2024.</li><li>Tapping into people's passions can inspire emotional connections with consumers.</li></ul>Marketers have long understood that emotion, not logic, drives most consumer behavior. A staggering 92% of purchasing decisions are driven by emotion, according to a Harvard Business School study. The idea dates all the way back to the 1950s, when television came to the fore and gave brands a groundbreaking medium for compelling, emotionally driven storytelling.Considering the profound advances in media, technology and connectivity since then, marketers are still strategizing about how to stir people's emotions. With attention more fragmented than ever, making a truly emotional connection has become a tall task. In this incredibly chaotic landscape, marketing leaders looking for a future-ready strategy are focusing on people's passions as a way to capture attention and affection — and achieve long-term growth.<h2 id="9ec2275f-ced8-47a4-97f9-c923b1aa3313">Focus on what unites us</h2>Defining your audience by its passions — and tapping into the positive emotions people associate with those passions — can be an effective way to connect in today's overwhelming environment. Instead of segmenting consumers by geography or age, targeting people by their passions like music, sports, food, or travel allows marketers to transcend traditional demographics.Recently completed proprietary research from Mastercard reveals just how powerful passions can be as a way to forge stronger connections with consumers. Three-quarters of people surveyed across eight markets say engaging in their passions is a part of their identity. Not only that, but passion-focused activities offer a form of stress relief and make them feel more like themselves, per the study. Music, often referred to as the universal language, is a prime passion category that unites and inspires. Take the recent<a target="_blank" href="https://www.contagious.com/news-and-views/cannes-lions-2024-entertainment-winners"> Johnnie Walker campaign</a> that aimed to give long-overdue recognition to the 88-year-old "forgotten mother of Bossa Nova" Alaíde Costa for her role in pioneering the smooth and rhythmic Brazilian music genre. It culminated in a Carnegie Hall concert, which she was denied decades ago. Powerful. The campaign went on to win a Cannes Lions Grand Prix in June in the music category.Mastercard embraces this passion-based approach to engage a wider audience in more meaningful ways. By focusing on what truly excites people, we're able to curate unique experiences for a broader range of cardholders, fostering deeper and more lasting connections. Our <a target="_blank" href="http://priceless.com">priceless.com</a> site offers a variety of special experiences, categorized by passion and available only with Mastercard.<h2 id="f850eeb1-dd6f-44f5-b754-0dc3fa74ed87">The proof is in the passion</h2>The days of brands brashly pushing ads on people are over. Consumers expect brands to add value to their lives, and marketers must be able to deliver on that expectation in new and dynamic ways. The research suggests a significant opportunity for brands: people want brands to act as an "incentivizer" in the passion space, rewarding them and helping them feel justified pursuing their passions.In fact, our survey data identifies eight key roles that brands can play to either accelerate consumers' passions or alleviate their frustrations — one of which is fostering shared connections around their passions. A prime example of this is how Nike taps into peoples' passion for wellness, which is ranked the second highest among those we surveyed, while strengthening community bonds. Nike has cultivated a global community through its <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=dbba50699d99b1a6fd0474ee43e851742a7cae2f110133f30d422b3b1cdb97b9&amp;postID=670060ce0c43543ec7aada6f&amp;postSlug=consumers-passions-emotional-connection-stronger-marketing-strategy-growth-behavior-audience-2024-10&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nike.com%2Fnrc-app">Nike Run Club </a>app, which brings runners together virtually and physically. The app provides coaching, tracking, and social features, connecting people over their shared passions for running. They also host live running events and challenges to further foster this sense of community.<h2 id="ae05c97c-10b6-4f61-8e5a-6528f6327668">The complexity of emotion</h2>Traditional market research involves surveying people to understand their purchasing motivations. While this is effective in some cases, uncovering the emotions consumers associate with a brand or product is often too complex a task for this type of research. For instance, someone who prefers blue candy to green may attribute the preference to taste but, in reality, may be influenced by a positive association with the color itself. When consumers respond to surveys, they often overly rationalize or deliberate their reasoning, not capturing the complete emotional story.We must continue to find new ways to understand impact. One powerful solution is neuromarketing, which taps into neuroscience to understand the subconscious drivers of emotion. Neuromarketing can derive an abundance of data-driven insights from study participants, allowing us to discern consumers' emotional associations with logos, messages, storylines, colors, and more. By revealing how brands truly resonate with people, neuromarketing offers new opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of their campaigns.Inspiring an emotional response is an incredibly challenging task for marketers at a time when consumers feel bombarded by messages. By tapping into the interests people already identify with and feel connected to, brand leaders can step forward as purveyors of passion — creating emotional impact that consumers will never forget.

The power of passions: Tapping into consumers' emotional bonds

When you come back home after a long day of dealing with a demanding boss and/or an annoying colleague, the last thing we are going to want to do is exercise. However, getting our behinds off the couch and dragging ourselves to the gym — or the park — might actually help us feel better. In today’s fast-paced, high-pressure <keyword id="19954079" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-environment" source="keywords">work environment</keyword>, <keyword id="19901233" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="burnout" source="keywords">burnout</keyword> is becoming a common issue. Deadlines, long hours and constant multitasking can leave us feeling emotionally exhausted and mentally drained. But there’s good news — according to research published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, <keyword id="23298308" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="moderate-exercise" source="keywords">moderate exercise</keyword> might be the key to combating job burnout. The study examined over 500 employees, assessing their <keyword id="23410261" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exercise-habits" source="keywords">exercise habits</keyword> and how these related to their work satisfaction and emotional well-being. The results were clear: those who engaged in moderate <keyword id="20053428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="physical-activity" source="keywords">physical activity</keyword> experienced significantly less burnout and <keyword id="22955163" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="emotional-exhaustion" source="keywords">emotional exhaustion</keyword>. They also reported feeling a greater sense of personal accomplishment in their jobs. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113632562" title="Here’s how much exercise you must do if you sit at a desk most of your day!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>But what is “moderate exercise”? As per Michele Wolf Marenus, PhD, a research scientist at Personify Health and one of the study's authors, it’s not about pushing yourself to the extreme. Instead, it involves activities like strength training, dancing, or hiking for at least 30 minutes on five or more days a week. A combination of vigorous activities, like running, and moderate ones is also effective. Interestingly, the study found that more intense forms of exercise didn’t necessarily lead to better results. In fact, moderate activity proved to be the sweet spot. People who exercised at this level reported the lowest levels of emotional exhaustion and the highest levels of <keyword id="20154404" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="job-satisfaction" source="keywords">job satisfaction</keyword>. Meanwhile, those who did either very low or very high levels of physical activity didn’t see the same benefits. As for why moderate exercise helped with burnout? It offers a valuable break from work, allowing employees to recharge mentally and physically. Exercise boosts cardiovascular health, enhances mood, and improves emotional regulation — all essential for dealing with <keyword id="21541838" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-stress" source="keywords">work stress</keyword>. So, if work stress is getting you down, you might want to lace up those sneakers and take a brisk walk or dance to your favourite tunes. It could be just what you need to refresh both body and mind! <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112589784" title="How to invest 3% of your day in exercise to live longer, according to an expert in healthy aging" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Burnout is a common side effect to work today and its remedy is ‘moderate’ exercise: Study

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Emotionally immature parents are different, but all share some key characteristics.</li><li>They can struggle to empathize with their kids, admit fault, or listen to other people.</li></ul>Not all <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-you-grew-up-in-a-dysfunctional-family-2024-1">dysfunctional families</a> involve physical abuse or extreme neglect. Being raised by an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/types-emotionally-immature-parents-passive-reactive-critical-absent-2024-1">emotionally immature parent</a> can be enough to make you feel alone, anxious, or invisible into adulthood.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.lindsaygibsonpsyd.com/">Dr. Lindsay C. Gibson</a>, a clinical psychologist who wrote the bestselling book "Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents," told Business Insider that these types of parents can be erratic, self-absorbed, lacking empathy, and unable to ever apologize.Sometimes labeled as "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/therapy-speak-language-terms-retire-2024-2023-12">narcissists</a>," emotionally immature parents can have profoundly negative effects on their kids."You might have nice clothes, you might have plenty of food," she told BI. "But inside, you're likely to have a sense of emotional loneliness and a feeling that things aren't quite right, and it affects your sense of belonging."Gibson shared some of the key signs you were raised by emotionally immature parents.<h2 id="e857bbbb-d87a-4dbd-b1c0-0752b4dd01b9">They're more interested in themselves</h2>Gibson said emotionally immature parents tend to be egocentric in some way. They might bring conversations back to themselves instead of asking you questions or monologue at you over the phone."A person who is emotionally mature is going to be able to consider other people's rights and feelings automatically," she said.Children of emotionally immature parents get the message that their interests and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bird-test-bids-deeper-relationships-friendships-gottman-institute-2024-2">bids for attention don't matter</a>. As a result, they can feel disconnected from their caretakers and gravitate toward familiarly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-sided-friendship-signs-to-look-out-for-2024-3">one-sided relationships</a> as adults.<h2 id="30f4231b-406c-43a1-a52b-5a926f70b4d1">They can't empathize with you</h2>Emotionally immature parents are likely to see you more as an extension of themselves than an individual person, Gibson said.For example, if your parent is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-grew-up-overly-critical-parents-2023-12">highly critical</a> and success-driven, they might be unable to notice (or care) that you don't like the extracurriculars they signed you up for. Or if you indicate feeling tired or burned out, they can't empathize with your feelings.If you're in a disagreement, your parent's point of view is always the correct one, no matter how glaringly wrong you feel they are."When something makes them feel uncomfortable or their self-esteem is threatened, they just change their perception of the reality," Gibson said. "They really can't take in other people's viewpoints; it just doesn't compute."These families tend to be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-you-struggled-with-enmeshment-in-your-family-2023-9">enmeshed</a>, where kids struggle to tell the difference between what they want and what their parents want, Gibson said.<h2 id="3b9194db-ab07-4a5c-834b-f9a0ebf352be">They don't apologize or try to do better next time</h2>Because they're focused on themselves and aren't receptive to other perspectives, emotionally immature parents are unlikely to apologize or take accountability, Gibson said.While many people can get stubborn or defensive in a fight, emotionally immature parents never have that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-symptoms-you-are-struggling-with-emotional-dysregulation-2023-9">cool-down moment</a> where they reflect on the role they played during a blow-up. A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-grew-up-reactive-parent-emotionally-volatile-unstable-2024-1">highly reactive parent</a>, for example, is unable to acknowledge how their behavior makes you feel tense.Since emotionally immature parents are not curious about finding a middle ground or seeing where they could improve their communication, you might find yourself in the same types of disagreements over and over again — and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-you-were-raised-by-eggshell-parent-2024-9">walking on eggshells</a> to avoid them. This is where <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/emotionally-immature-parent-set-boundaries-psychologist-2023-9">setting boundaries</a> can become important.<h2 id="6d9c16df-67d5-4280-ba2b-985989ad0828">They're popular with other people, but disconnected from you</h2>While the above behaviors might feel insufferable to you, emotionally immature parents may be able to hide them around others."They might be very socially skilled, they might be very popular, they might be good with keeping themselves under control," Gibson said. "But when it comes to that kind of emotional closeness where you open up to each other, that's where they really back up."Another example is the "fun" parent — someone who might have played with you a lot as a kid but is otherwise <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-raised-by-passive-parent-2024-1">passive</a>, according to Gibson. The moment you start expressing your feelings, they pull away, reinforcing the idea that your vulnerability is too much for them.<h2 id="3e6bac35-e0de-4257-9795-2efb09ccfa2d">They only show up for you in practical ways</h2>If your parents paid for your college tuition or took great care of you when you were sick, you might feel ambivalent about the "emotionally immature" label. How self-interested they could be, if they made such big financial or time commitments in raising you?While Gibson acknowledged that material benefits are important stepping stones to success, she also said that "growing up is so much more than your physical needs." It's also important for parents to offer warmth and emotional support for their kids.Otherwise, kids with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-you-grew-up-emotionally-absent-parents-2023-12">emotionally absent parents</a> can grow up to feel like they need to perform to gain attention or that they only deserve the bare minimum from their other relationships."It's crucial that you get the kind of emotional connection and empathy that emotionally mature parents can give their children," she said.

5 signs your parent is emotionally immature, from having low empathy to being self-absorbed

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Emteq Labs, a UK-based wearable tech company, unveiled emotion-sensing eyewear powered by AI.</li><li>Sense glasses analyze facial expressions and track physical activity and eating habits.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/smart-glasses">Smart glasses</a> are taking the tech world by storm, allowing customers to leverage AI and wearable cameras to capture the world around them.One company wants to help people wearing smart glasses look inward to gain insights into their own health.Emteq Labs, a UK-based company, announced on Tuesday that it had developed the "world's first emotion-sensing eyewear," which it named "Sense."Sense uses a platform powered by AI that offers "lab-quality insights in real life and in real time," the company said in a press release.Emteq's new CEO, Steen Strand, previously <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/snap-power-players-executives-leading-company-with-evan-spiegel-2020-7#steen-strand-heads-up-snap-labs-which-works-on-the-companys-spectacles-ar-efforts-spiegel-has-prioritized-30">led the hardware division</a> at Snap Inc., which is also competing in the smart glasses game with its AR <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/snap-new-ar-spectacles-kind-of-cartoonish-looking-2024-9">Spectacles</a>. Another competitor, Meta, recently announced updates to its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-ray-bans-have-new-features-smart-glasses-2024-9">Ray-Ban smart glasses</a> and showed off its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/orion-meta-ar-smart-glasses-review-2024-9">Orion AR glasses</a>, though those may never be made available to the public.Emteq is only looking at commercial partners right now, so the emotion-sensing glasses are not available to consumers.Strand and Dr. Charles Nduka, the founder and chief science officer at Emteq Labs, told Business Insider that they hope Sense's insights can help people who are struggling with things like mental illness or obesity."With most smart glasses, the sensors are looking out, whereas the data we are gathering is looking at the wearer," Nduka said. "What you can't measure, you can't improve."Strand, who wore the Sense glasses during a demonstration for BI, showed how the glasses use contactless sensors to analyze facial data in real time, such as a raise of the eyebrow, a smile, or a frown. Similar to a smartwatch or a smart ring, Sense glasses track physical activity.<div type="image" title="A graphic showing Sense glasses with the app tracking data in the background." height="1080" width="1920" msid="114255275" hostid="261" sizebytes="33322"></div>The glasses also have a downward-facing camera for photographing food for meal tracking. That data is analyzed and transferred to the Sense app, and the photo is discarded, Strand said. The goal is to make food logging a passive activity, which can "dramatically increase the compliance" when working toward a goal or abiding by a certain diet, Strand said."For the diet application, we are now closing the loop. We know what you are eating, we know how you are eating, we know your physical activity and your exercise," he said.Strand added that he thinks the glasses could also be used for managing neurological conditions, such as autism or Parkinson's."We want to figure out what are the needs that give them a real benefit," Strand said of potential consumers, "and justify wearing the glasses."

These AI-powered smart glasses monitor your emotions and your eating habits

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says product shortages are making customers emotional.</li><li>Demand for Nvidia's AI chips, including the Blackwell line, has surged, straining suppliers.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-stock-price-earnings-party-investors-cult-investing-memes-2024-9">Nvidia </a>CEO Jensen Huang said that a shortage of his company's products is making customers "emotional" and that things are tense.Huang, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-q2-earnings-ai-investors-expectations-2024-8">dubbed the King of AI</a>, said the demand for Nvidia's products is so high because everyone wants to get them first — and they want a lot. It's making things tense with customers despite the company's best efforts, he said at a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-details-ai-infrastructure-roi-goldman-sachs-2024-9">Goldman Sachs tech conference</a> in San Francisco on Wednesday."We have a lot of people on our shoulders, and everybody is counting on us," Huang said. He added, "Demand is so great that delivery of our components, our technology, infrastructure, and software is really emotional for people."The CEO added that while demand for Nvidia's latest line of chips, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidias-jensen-huang-blackwell-ai-chip-will-hit-market-2024-5">Blackwell</a>, has soared, suppliers to which the company has outsourced hardware production are catching up.Demand for Nvidia's graphics processing unit has skyrocketed as companies and countries scramble to secure supplies to improve their AI capabilities."We probably have more emotional customers today. Deservedly so. It's tense. We're trying to do the best we can," Huang said.As one of the few players in this space, Nvidia has a stronghold on anyone looking to accelerate their business or economy using AI models. These <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-plan-double-triple-data-center-capacity-2024-4">AI models need to be trained on large piles of data</a> and then fine-tuned carefully, which takes thousands of <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gpu-rich-vs-gpu-poor-tech-companies-in-each-group-2023-8">GPUs</a>, creating pressure on chip demand.In August, Nvidia sparked worries that its next generation of AI chips, <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-unveils-next-generation-ai-chip-blackwell-2024-3">Blackwell</a>, would be delayed by two to three months. The delay meant that shipments would be pushed to the first quarter of 2025 instead of later this year, affecting customers including <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-big-tech-earnings-week-early-winner-ai-microsoft-2024-7">Meta, Microsoft, and Google</a>, and smaller cloud firms, which have built their businesses on Nvidia chips.On an earnings call last month, Huang promised that the company would ship out billions of dollars worth of Blackwell GPUs by the fourth quarter — a metric that analysts said was vague. While Nvidia executives on the call remained unclear about the gains expected from the Blackwell chip, they managed to temper most concerns around the shipment delays.Analysts and experts have previously noted that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-q2-earnings-ai-investors-expectations-2024-8">the company's ability to deliver</a> on these promises will be crucial.Last week <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-records-biggest-ever-single-day-market-value-loss-2024-9">Nvidia's stock slid 9.5%, shedding $278.9 billion in valuation</a> — the biggest single-day loss ever recorded by a US company. The rout was partly attributed to the economy and partly to resurfaced doubts on when tech giants will bear the fruit of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-big-tech-spending-on-ai-investments-2024-7">massive AI spending.</a>

Nvidia chips are in such high demand that customers are 'emotional,' Huang said

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I grew up with 16 siblings, and our household was often chaotic.</li><li>My <keyword id="6359162" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="parents" source="Orion">parents</keyword> never really disciplined us, and I decided when I had kids, I'd parent differently.</li></ul>People always think the Brady Bunch <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brady-bunch-cast-stars-then-and-now">had a wild family</a> — until they hear about me and my 16 siblings. My parents always wanted to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-parents-set-their-kids-up-for-success-2016-4">give us the best childhoods</a> by creating a safe environment for everyone to be themselves. That's why they had me and my three biological siblings, then adopted 13 other <keyword id="19914811" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="children" source="keywords">children</keyword>. Our parents adored us, but they also lacked the ability to <keyword id="19901234" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="discipline" source="keywords">discipline</keyword> us when my siblings and I inevitably butted heads. They were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/parenting-little-kids-can-be-exhausting-and-stressful-2023-7">always so exhausted</a> from our busy lives that they struggled to keep everyone in line. I grew up seeing how constant chaos with no discipline didn't create the best environment. Some of my siblings lost faith in authority figures. I knew my future <keyword id="6381498" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="parenting" source="Orion">parenting</keyword> style would incorporate more authoritative style, which has proven to be the best thing for my 5-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. <h2>An <keyword id="3842387" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="authoritative-parenting" source="Orion">authoritative parenting</keyword> style was the right choice for my family</h2>Evaluating my family's dynamics as a kid made me vow that my kids would always know there were consequences for poor choices. When my husband and I decided to have children, we discussed how we'd raise them. I wanted to parent them from a place of logic while prioritizing discipline in response to bad behaviors. That kind of authoritative parenting means having age-appropriate conversations about how actions have consequences in addition to enforcing those consequences, like temporarily revoking some of my kids' childhood privileges. My role in parenting our kids is more logical. I understand that both having conversations with kids and enforcing consequences help them learn to do better next time. Meanwhile, my husband has always handled our children's emotional well-being more naturally. He's there to guide us through the first step while we talk with our kids about how they can do better next time. Our parenting style encourages <keyword id="20334534" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="emotional-stability" source="keywords">emotional stability</keyword> while equally enacting the consequences that help our children grow into better versions of themselves. Don't get me wrong—I'm a softie deep down. Disciplining my children is hard. In those moments, I remind myself they'll achieve greater things because they developed core values and an understanding of consequences. We channel both of our approaches through disciplinarian actions and kindness. This gives our parenting a higher purpose than just trying to keep the peace to get through the day as a family. I've thought about how I would parent my kids for decades. Even as a teenager, I saw how important it was to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10106685/">give attention to your children</a> because my parents didn't always have the time to do so. And for good reason — they rarely had a moment to rest. <h2>What our parenting style looks like in action</h2>I keep these values in mind during moments like yesterday. My husband and I had to enforce our authoritative parenting style in the grocery store, even though we were rushing to get home. Our 5-year-old son grabbed a box of mac and cheese off the shelf and threw it in our cart. While I put the box back, my husband told him it wasn't on our list. Our son immediately started crying and yelling. He said we were mean, which I shut down right away. I told him he couldn't speak to us like that because he needed to respect us, and if he said it again, he'd lose TV privileges after dinner. The crying continued as we walked down other aisles. When my husband shushed our son, he repeated that we were mean. When we got home, we stuck to our word, and he didn't get to watch "Paw Patrol." My parents would have tried to quiet him in the store and eventually given up. Instead, my husband and I explained why our son's language was wrong before enforcing the promised consequence. While our son pouted in his room later that night, we talked about why respecting us was important, how much we loved him, and how he should apologize. I know he'll learn over time that he can't do whatever he wants, which will make him a happier adult who people love to be around. Last week, we also discussed how our actions have consequences with our 8-year-old daughter. She wanted to ride her bike to a friend's house after dinner, but it was too late on a school night. My husband said no, and our daughter rolled her eyes and ran to her room, slamming the door behind her. We immediately went to her room and told her we don't do either of those things because they're disrespectful. She needed to apologize and accept her punishment — no bike for the rest of the week. She's old enough to see how other parents treat their kids, so she pointed out how her best friend slams the door and never gets punished. She thought it was unfair that other kids could express their anger without punishment while she couldn't. My husband told her she was allowed to feel mad. He also explained she should tell us about her feelings with words so we could work through them together, and said that would be more helpful than slamming doors or rolling her eyes. He made a great point by asking how our daughter felt when her best friend rolled her eyes at her. My 8-year-old said it was annoying. I saw her realize in real time that it wasn't as helpful as talking through her feelings. When we need to take <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/parenting/authoritarian-parenting">a loving approach to discipline</a>, we do so by discussing why their consequences happen and how much we love our kids no matter what. I believe that our kids benefit from my slightly emotionally detached, logical approach and my husband's strength in emotional vulnerability. Enforcing rules sometimes makes me feel like a bad mom, but those moments when I see the lightbulb spark in my children's minds are worth it. When I doubt myself <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-right-way-to-set-boundaries-with-people-2023-10">while setting boundaries</a> or making disciplinary decisions, I remember that we're preparing them to be well-rounded adults. My kids are incredible now, and they'll be even more amazing in adulthood because we are committed to consequences. Editor's note, July 22, 2024: An earlier version of this story incorrectly used the terms 'authoritative parenting' and '<keyword id="10223033" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="authoritarian-parenting" source="Orion">authoritarian parenting</keyword>' synonymously.

Growing up, my parents didn't discipline me. Now, I'm doing authoritative parenting — and it's working.

Before Joaquin Phoenix smashed his way into mainstream popularity for his jaw-dropping performance as the Joker, the actor was also the star of the movie Her. The plot of Her was as simple as it was unfamiliar: newer operating systems come with AI that is shockingly human-like, to the point where (spoiler alert!) many begin to fall in love with their personalised devices. The 2013 movie drew many reactions, from some horrified at the possibility of such a romance, to others ridiculing the premise. If you were part of the sceptical latter, we have some terrible news for you: human-AI romance is already becoming a thing. <h2>Meet your new AI soulmate</h2>In the past decade, virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri and Amazon's Alexa have become part of our everyday tech lives. Now, a new breed of AI has emerged, ready to whisper sweet nothings into your digital ear: AI romantic companions. These <keyword id="19987344" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chatbots" source="keywords">chatbots</keyword> — such as Eva AI and Replika — interact with users through text, voice, and even images, tailoring everything from their looks to their personality. A <a href="https://theconversation.com/computer-love-ai-powered-chatbots-are-changing-how-we-understand-romantic-and-sexual-well-being-234054">Conversation article </a>notes how the pandemic's lockdowns and social distancing fueled a surge in <keyword id="19932884" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="loneliness" source="keywords">loneliness</keyword>, prompting many to seek companionship from such AI applications. But they aren't just pretty faces (or voices). AI chatbots learn and adapt through conversation, becoming eerily good at anticipating your needs, preferences, and moods. Before you know it, you might find yourself not just talking to an AI, but falling for one. Research has already shown that these chatbots can offer real comfort, easing loneliness and boosting positive emotions with supportive, non-judgmental interactions. They provide a safe space for open conversations and advice when human options are limited. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111692052" title="Large language models like ChatGPT struggle as soon as they encounter unfamiliar problems, MIT study finds!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>What’s surprising is that people report similar levels of enjoyment, sexual arousal, and emotional response whether they believe they’re interacting with a human or a chatbot. In some cases, users even feel a stronger <keyword id="19946525" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="emotional-connection" source="keywords">emotional connection</keyword> to chatbots than to less responsive humans. It seems we’re not just willing to open our hearts to AI; we're also happy to let them in. As for the elephant in the bedroom, you might be surprised to know that there could be actual benefits to <keyword id="22416523" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-sex" source="keywords">AI sex</keyword> a well! Experts note that AI-driven sexual interactions could provide a safe, low-risk alternative to traditional romantic and sexual relationships. This could particularly benefit individuals who face challenges in establishing satisfying connections due to illness, bereavement, sexual difficulties, psychological barriers, or mobility impairments. <h2>The dark side of AI love</h2>Her showed that every rose has its thorn, even in the case of highly personalised tech. And this may not be far from the truth either, as experts have begun to worry that romantic chatbots — with their constant availability and seamless interactions — can set up unrealistic expectations for human relationships. For instance, the fact that they don’t argue, they don’t get tired, and they never need a break, can skew users' views of what real-world relationships should be like, potentially stunting social skills and emotional growth. The customisable nature and constant presence of AI companions can lead to social isolation and emotional dependency, making users more likely to retreat from real-world interactions. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111206789" title="Here’s what ChatGPT said about why it discriminated against CVs with disability mentions" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><keyword id="20082779" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="privacy-concerns" source="keywords">Privacy concerns</keyword> also loom large. A 2023 Mozilla Foundation analysis of AI chatbots found that many apps share or sell personal data and prevent users from deleting their information. <h2>Do AI chatbots dream of electric sheep?</h2>While AI chatbots may appear convincing enough — <keyword id="15681942" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ChatGPT" source="Orion">ChatGPT</keyword> has already passed the Turing test — are they conscious? While most experts almost unanimously reject the notion that today’s AI models are self-aware, improvements in AI have the potential to blur the lines to outside observers. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111655165" title="From foe to friend? Professionals now see AI as a transformative tool that will save time, create more specialist jobs: Reuters report" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><a href="https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2024/1/niae013/7644104">A recent study </a>revealed that many people believe AI like ChatGPT has conscious experiences. Over two-thirds of participants thought AI could have self-awareness or phenomenal consciousness. This belief gap between experts and the public could shape the ethical, legal, and moral landscape of AI. It is clear that AI companions are here to stay, which will undoubtedly muddy our perspective on human relationships and our understanding of consciousness. As we navigate this brave new world, we must ensure our digital dalliances enrich our lives without overshadowing the real, messy, beautiful complexity of human connections.

People are already becoming romantically and sexually involved with AI — here’s the problem with that

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Betty Cartledge voted for the first time by placing her ballot in the 2024 presidential election.</li><li>The great-great-grandmother had previously been influenced by her late husband, who never voted.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Betty Cartledge, 81, from Covington, Georgia. It has been edited for length and clarity.I was delighted when a worker at my local early <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unique-polling-places-usa-2020-10">voting station</a> gave me a sticker that said, "I secured my vote."I put it on my coat and felt proud. It was the first time I'd voted in my life, I turn 82 on Sunday.My husband, William, who died in April at the age of 91, never voted either. We didn't really discuss it during our 64 years of marriage. I'm not exactly sure why he didn't vote himself, but it's not as if he told me I couldn't do so.I got the idea to vote a couple of months ago after talking with my great-niece and a neighbor about the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harris-trump-national-polls-election-2024-10">presidential election in November</a>. "I'd like to vote," I told them, " but I don't know how to read or write."It seemed intimidating, and I couldn't imagine myself going alone. I didn't want to go into the booth and not know what to do.<h2 id="318ac36d-cbd5-49b2-be8b-2b419f78d223">The poll worker explained the process</h2>My niece, Wanda, who has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-women-got-the-right-to-vote-american-voting-rights-timeline-2018-10">voted in every election since she was 18</a>, encouraged me every step of the way.We drove to the registrar's office two weeks ago to register using my driver's license. Wanda read out the form to me, I signed my name, and we were good to go.Then, on Wednesday, she took me to the early voting station. I was excited because I didn't even know what one looked like. The poll worker explained the process, and Wanda took me to a booth.She read out the candidates' names, and I pressed the button I wanted on the screen. It was my choice and my decision, and I didn't tell anyone who I voted for.I felt more emotional than I thought I would. It was like getting your first date, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/couple-scheduled-first-kiss-on-google-calendar-took-away-anxiety-2023-2">your first kiss</a>, or being baptized. Something you will never forget.Wanda took me out for a celebratory lunch, and I wore my sticker. A bunch of my family and friends contacted me to say they're proud of me.<h2 id="3078648e-e605-4819-b0dc-15de35739ba9">I hope I will inspire others to vote</h2>It's made me feel like an American. I don't particularly follow politics, but they are important. This year, I lost my husband, my rent went up, and the cost of my medicine was raised. I don't have much money. But I figured if I went out there and voted, it might bring about some change.I hope anyone else like me who can't read and write will do the same. I'm certainly planning to in four years' time.Do you have a powerful story to share with Business Insider about voting in the upcoming election? Please send details to <a target="_blank" href="mailto:jridley@insider.com">jridley@businessinsider.com</a>

I voted for the first time at 81. I waited until my husband died, and it was more emotional than I expected.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>On Tuesday, Lauren Sánchez appeared on "Good Morning America" to promote her children's book.</li><li>She got emotional speaking about her experience with dyslexia.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-sanchez-and-kids-taking-spanish-lessons-latina-bilingual-2024-9">Lauren Sánchez</a> opened up about her learning disability.On Tuesday, Sánchez appeared on "Good Morning America" to promote her children's book, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Fly-Who-Flew-to-Space-(with-removable-glow-in-the-dark-poster)/Lauren-Sanchez/9781685550639">"The Fly Who Flew to Space,"</a> published by Simon &amp; Schuster.Flynn, the fly who stars in Sánchez's book, struggles with school despite having aspirations to become an astronaut.And during her "GMA" appearance, Sánchez shared that Flynn's story was inspired by her own.<h2 id="87eb7d18-9787-4f6f-8305-e2babb061c0f">Lauren Sánchez's dyslexia was undiagnosed throughout her childhood</h2>The philanthropist and journalist told "GMA" host Michael Strahan that she wrote "The Fly Who Flew To Space" for her inner child."It's for the 8-year-old self me, who really felt dumb," Sánchez said of the book. "I sat in the back of the class. I was just quiet. They kind of pushed me along in public school, and I kept going.""I really, really wanted to be a journalist," she added. "That's all I wanted to be. And I was like, 'I can't write.' It was horrible."But Sánchez said things changed when she went to community college and a teacher approached her about writing for the school paper.<div type="image" title="Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos posing together at a black-tie event, with mirrors behind them." height="683" width="1024" msid="113235729" hostid="261" sizebytes="54934"></div>She told Strahan that her professor asked her to write a piece without worrying about spelling or punctuation. Sánchez teared up as she relayed the story on "GMA," saying, "Every time, I get really emotional."Sánchez said writing the story allowed her teacher insight into her struggles."She literally looked at me after I turned it in, and she was like, 'You're not dumb. You just can't spell,'" Sánchez told Strahan. "And she got me tested for dyslexia.""This was a community college teacher who took an interest in me, and I went from a 2.0 student barely making it to a 3.8," she said. "I got into USC, and I became a journalist."Sánchez studied broadcast journalism at USC and went on to anchor several different shows. In 2001, she <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-fiancee-lauren-sanchez-bio-photos-2023-12">won a Los Angeles Area Emmy award</a> for her work on UPN News 13 on Los Angeles' KCOP.Today, Sánchez <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-sanchez-jeff-bezos-earth-fund-philanthropy-2024-7">runs the Bezos Earth Fund</a>, which has pledged $10 billion to combat the climate crisis, with her fiancé, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-sanchez-jeff-bezo-set-rule-morning-routine-no-phones-2024-9">Jeff Bezos</a>.Her and Bezos' relationship has been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-lauren-sanchez-relationship-timeline-photos">public since 2019</a>, and they got <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-and-lauren-sanchez-are-engaged-reports-2023-5">engaged in 2023</a>.<h2 id="f369bf47-21f3-4245-bbb2-b89a9759f4a7">The author hopes her book can inspire others</h2>The first-time author told Strahan she hopes her book can help other children who are struggling at school as she did."This book is for all those little kids out there that feel out of place," Sánchez said. "They don't think they're smart enough. But I'm here to tell you it's gonna be OK. You just have to be curious and wonder."In April, she shared a similar message in the caption of an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Gj_zmuovf/?img_index=1">Instagram photo</a> of herself as a little girl."Don't get me wrong, my spelling is so bad even spell check doesn't know what I'm trying to write sometimes," she wrote. "BUT, if the little girl in this picture knew she'd be writing a children's book, she would never have believed it.""I hope The Fly Who Flew To Space will inspire kids to chase their dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem," she added.

Lauren Sánchez got emotional talking about the teacher who helped diagnose her dyslexia

A few weeks before flying to Lisbon for vacation earlier this year, I redownloaded Duolingo. I'd used the language-learning app off and on over the years to brush up on my high-school French, but life — and weak discipline, if we're being honest — kept me from making its lessons a consistent habit. Now I hoped to pick up just enough Portuguese to dodge being branded an "ugly American." I promised myself that this time would be different because now I had the magic ingredient for getting myself to follow through on just about anything: a deadline.As the weeks before my trip dissolved into days, I kept up my Duolingo streak, racking up badges and encouraging notifications from Duo, the brand's green owl mascot. Then came my flight — and with that, the end of my streak.It didn't take long for Duolingo's emails to shift in tone. One subject line read, "It's been three days…" The next day, it asked, "Have you already gotten sick of learning Portuguese?" The day after that: "It looks like you've learned how to say 'quitter' in Portuguese."I archived the unopened emails without a second thought. After all, I knew perfectly well what I'd signed up for: learning Portuguese from the biggest asshole on the App Store.Across the internet, nearly a decade's worth of posts, comments, and blogs lament Duolingo's brusque bedside manner, which one Redditor <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/assholedesign/comments/gvn354/duolingo_attempts_to_emotionally_blackmail_me/">half-jokingly</a> described as an attempt at emotional blackmail to spur reengagement. The nagging goes beyond email subject lines and push notifications; inactive users might look down at their phones to find that the Duolingo app icon suddenly depicts a sadder and older version of the owl's face — or one that's melting into a carnivalesque nightmare. Parents have even <a target="_blank" href="https://jessicaelefante.substack.com/p/duolingo-is-guilt-tripping-my-kid?utm_source=profile&amp;utm_medium=reader2">complained</a> that the capricious owl is attacking their children's brains and making them <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1ac2eu1/should_my_son_delete_duolingo/">cry</a>. Though it's widely accepted that Duolingo can be a real jerk, some have gone so far as to <a target="_blank" href="https://designbuddy.substack.com/p/monthly-issue-may-2024">suggest</a> the company's manipulative messaging is flat-out unethical.For Duolingo, though, the relentless nagging seems to be a boon to its bottom line. Following the first quarter of 2024, the company reported 54% year-over-year growth in daily active users (to over 31 million), 45% growth in revenue, and record profitability. Not too shabby for an app whose affect has been described as "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.socialsamosa.com/marketing-shorts/duolingo-unhinged-marketing-strategy-4125046">psychotic</a>," "<a target="_blank" href="https://digiday.com/marketing/how-duolingo-is-using-its-unhinged-content-with-duo-the-owl-to-make-people-laugh-on-tiktok/">unhinged</a>," and "<a target="_blank" href="https://steemit.com/duolingo/@koenraadt/duolingo-s-abusive-learning-methods-the-app-that-causes-mental-health-problems">abusive</a>" — attributes that, if anything, the company appears to be leaning into. Haters may hate Duolingo's scolding, but more often than not, the company's largely under-30 user base laps it up. Love him or loathe him, the owl's got rizz.It might be an overstatement to call tough love the secret sauce for engaging Gen Z customers. But marketing experts say it's part of the package for Zoomer-marketing magic."Younger age groups engaging with marketing are looking for a company that has a special, unique personality that's memorable and feels authentic," said Brian Honigman, a marketing consultant based in Philadelphia. Honigman said that where older adults might respond to corporatized brand messaging — think concise, assertive slogans such as "I'm lovin' it" and "Just do it" — younger adults and teens tend to seek out brands that appear to embody distinct values and interests and have a clear perspective on the world."They're looking for something that comes across more like a person," Honigman said. "Duolingo does a fantastic job of not coming across like many other brands."It might be more accurate to describe what marketers call "authenticity" as "consistency across platforms." No matter the product, marketers tend to agree that a brand's existing customers and potential leads notice when a distinct personality shines through. Regardless of whether people feel warmly toward Duolingo's sassy spokes-owl, they're likely to appreciate that the character holds true to its obnoxious persona beyond the app and user notifications. Throughout its occasional TV ads and regular dispatches on platforms such as YouTube, X, and especially TikTok — where Duolingo boasts more than 12.5 million followers — the smug little bird is uncannily itself. A recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@duolingo/video/7380068067579006251">post</a> on the company's TikTok, captioned "celebrating getting my blue check back," shows Duo twerking, in a purple thong, while being pelted with red roses. A few days earlier, when the pop singer and party-girl paragon Charli XCX announced the release of her new album, "Brat," on X, Duolingo's account <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/duolingo/status/1799115396462891323">reshared</a> the post, adding, "i can't believe u wrote an entire album about me."Duolingo's brand presence is also irreverently funny in a way that begs to be memed. During this year's Super Bowl, the company went viral for a <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.duolingo.com/super-bowl-commercial-2024/">five-second ad</a> featuring its owl mascot pooping out a miniature of its own face with the caption "Do your Duolingo." The company arranged for users in the US to receive a push notification the moment the commercial aired. "No buts, do a lesson now," it read.Though the app's reengagement notifications have trended toward bluntness, a Duolingo spokesperson told me the company began leaning into its owl's sassy online persona a few years after an "<a target="_blank" href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/evil-duolingo-owl">evil Duolingo owl</a>" meme went viral on Tumblr in 2017. "Since then, we've had numerous social-first marketing campaigns that embrace the meme," the spokesperson said. In 2021, the company released "The Unignorable Notification," a YouTube short in the style of a public-service announcement. It followed that in 2023 with a send-up of personal-injury-attorney TV ads: "Lawyer Fights Duolingo Owl for $2,700,000.""People love brands with personality," Matt Williams, a visiting clinical professor of marketing at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William &amp; Mary, told me. "Too many brands are scared to step out and grab one, but the ones who do it well reap the benefits."Williams understands this point better than most. From 2013 to 2018, he was the CEO of The Martin Agency, the firm that came up with a cockney-accented gecko to promote the insurance company Geico, which has had a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/06/01/1102496094/the-gecko-effect">transformative</a> effect on the way insurance companies sell themselves. "I can't tell you how many times, as CEO of the agency that created the Geico gecko, a CMO asked me, 'Can you do for us what you did for Geico?'" he said. "But the downside risk can be just as big. The same influencers that reward Duolingo or Geico when they get it right with an owl or a gecko will take down a brand that gets it wrong." When M&amp;M's transformed its green and brown "spokescandies" in 2022 from sassy characters with high heels to ones wearing sneakers and low heels, critics from all parts of the internet revolted. Conservative critics called it woke; 20-something TikTokers called it a needless crime of "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@themification/video/7055354130235247919">deyassification</a>."Williams views Duolingo's cheeky owl as a case study in brand personality done right. It struck gold with Gen Z and younger millennial language learners in particular. The company said in a blog post in 2022 that about 60% of the app's US language learners were under 30.Duolingo's spunkiness isn't just a marketing ploy; it also drives user engagement. Kristen Smirnov, an associate professor of marketing at Whittier College, told me that to keep people engaged, brands tap into their desire to avoid friction. It's part of the formula for keeping people hooked on free-to-play gaming apps, such as "Candy Crush," which make their money selling in-game add-ons and boosters."What those designers very deliberately do is they figure out exactly how many moves are likely to be needed in order to regularly solve a particular level," Smirnov said. "And then they offer the player a few less moves." When the player gets tantalizingly close to solving the level, they become willing to pay for the few extra moves needed to win.Duolingo similarly gamifies friction — not by rigging its challenges but by deploying its trusty sidekick to annoy users. "I am assuming that the company had to ask themselves, 'OK, how do we introduce friction that consumers want to avoid?'" Smirnov said. "So they created that incredibly obnoxious logo, the owl." Even in a gamified context, emotional friction, such as Duolingo's nagging, can backfire when it's applied over an extended period. Research suggests it's especially risky to deploy marketing campaigns that make people feel bad about themselves; a 2010 <a target="_blank" href="https://newsinfo.iu.edu/news-archive/13591.html">study</a> found that the use of guilt and shame in anti-drinking ads triggered a defensive response that actually made their target viewers likelier to drink more. If people feel as though they're constantly bumping up against reminders of their failure, they may decide they're no longer having fun and move on. "People kind of stop treating it like a habit, then they may find that they never open up that app again," Smirnov said, recalling her own disenchantment with Duolingo when she was flooded with notifications after breaking a 52-day German streak while sick.Despite the research, Duolingo insists its guilt-tripping notifications do the trick of enticing people to drop whatever they're doing to log on to the app. A spokesperson told <a target="_blank" href="https://debugger.medium.com/duolingo-needs-to-chill-8f1832745ca0">Debugger</a> in 2020 that "other options" for reengaging users were "between 5% and 8% less effective at getting learners to take a lesson."Still, not everyone loves it. When Duolingo's head of product, Cem Kansu, <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/cemkansu/status/1301267132009848832">posted</a> a thread in 2020 about the success of "the passive aggressive reminder," several unhappy Duolingo users chimed in. "Wow, shame and guilt are how you want to motivate people to learn? that is pretty shitty," one reply said.But in the grand scheme of marketing, how shitty is it really? Engaging with products and services means opening yourself up to companies' shameless appeals to keep you coming back. It's a dynamic baked into the unspoken contract a consumer tacitly signs when they give their money to a mattress company that promises to give them the best sleep of their life or buy a pair of jeans that evokes effortless French-girl style. Marketing works by appealing to a person's deepest hopes and insecurities, offering consumer goods as the direct gateway to their idealized future self.Manipulative? Sure. Unethical? Not necessarily.Mara Einstein, a marketing professor at Queens College and the author of the forthcoming book "Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults," told me that ethical lines get crossed when a brand attracts consumers under a false premise or doesn't let them disengage. She cited multilevel-marketing schemes as one example of a business model that routinely draws on both of these unethical tactics to drum up new business. Their approach often relies on bombarding customers with communication and then withholding delivery of the promised goods or services until the customer gives more of their time or money, or both."That doesn't happen with Duolingo," Einstein said. "Duolingo may nudge you, but you can always say, 'You know what? This isn't working for me.'" Users can always opt out. (I never did get back to those Portuguese lessons.)"Ultimately, they're making you feel bad about not finishing your Spanish lessons," said Honigman, the Philadelphia marketing consultant. "At the end of the day, that's not hurting the world."<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/kelli-maria-korducki">Kelli María Korducki</a> is a journalist whose work focuses on work, tech, and culture. She's based in New York City.

'Emotional blackmail': How Duolingo manipulates its 31 million users 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I was struggling to land a job in my desired industry until I met a man 20 years older than me.</li><li>He helped me land a job in production, jumpstarting my career.</li></ul>A few weeks after blowing out my 25th birthday candles, I started working at an organic grocery store. I felt miserable and cried to my friend after my very <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-do-your-first-day-of-work-2014-2">first day on the job</a>.At the time, I struggled to find advertising or documentary production opportunities, so I was forced to take the grocery store job to help <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-won-nyc-housing-lottery-rent-apartment-tour-queens-2024-10">pay my rent</a>.On a late afternoon near the end of August, a man with curly gray hair came in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trader-joes-vs-walmart-grocery-shopping-which-is-better-review-2024-8">to shop</a>. As I approached the juice aisle to do some restocking, I saw the man standing there — focused on choosing the right apple juice. Since the man was right where I needed to place the ladder, I thought I might as well ask him to move one of the bottles from the top shelf to make room. He looked at me surprised and then complied. He asked if he had done it correctly. I said yes and left.The curly-haired man returned during one of my last Saturday morning shifts. This time, we chatted a bit more as I scanned his items. I was always on the hunt for a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/future-side-hustle-more-popular-traditional-jobs-extinct-2024-9">new gig</a>, so I offered to babysit his kids and gave him my number.From there, he helped jump-start my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/community-college-six-figure-tech-company-career-journey-2024-10">professional career</a> and my romantic life.<h2 id="04d2e590-d8ae-4c8a-b896-2af5a3079560">He got me a job at a production company</h2>I was at the playground with Curly Gray Hair and his kids one day. Our conversation shifted quickly from babysitting to discussing our respective careers. I told him that I was looking for a production assistant job in the film industry. His immediate response was to ask me more specific questions, and eventually, he offered to reach out to some of his contacts. I learned Curly Gray Hair <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/advertisers-gen-ai-hype-turning-to-skepticism-2024-10">worked in advertising</a>, so he knew some people in production.After talking about our careers, we talked about life, age, and passions. I learned he was 20 years older than me. Naturally, we ended up <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/people-are-tired-of-unpacking-relationships-what-to-do-2024-9">discussing love</a> and what we wanted in relationships.He offered to see me again. I enjoyed our first meeting and talking to him, so I said I would consider his offer. My main focus was still on finding a job.One week later, he <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/job-applications-hiring-ai-bots-spam-resume-cover-letter-2024-3">sent my CV</a> to several production companies. In 30 minutes, I received a positive call from a producer.When I landed that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-tech-grad-job-rescinded-freelance-portfolio-career-corporate-2024-9">freelance gig</a>, Curly Gray Hair and I were both stressed. Although he trusted me and believed in me, he told me to be careful and not mess it up. And I was afraid it would all backfire. I didn't know how closely this man was connected to that company, and I feared I was building the wrong reputation.All my worries faded pretty quickly; nobody knew him personally or had any deep <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-friends-spouses-loneliness-remote-hybrid-benefits-of-work-connections-2024-6">work connections</a> with him. And I performed well; I freelanced for that company for a year.I was more than grateful for the connection; it was my first step into the industry I always wanted to work in.<h2 id="7fd8023d-60f4-4e26-bd3c-71aeadbf77e1">We soon became romantically involved</h2>My life was a bit messy around the time I started the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-portfolio-career-pros-cons-income-streams-side-hustles-2024-9">new job</a>. But Curly Gray Hair felt like a good thing in my life — especially because we became more romantic. Three months after he got me that job, we decided to give a romantic relationship a shot. I was initially nervous to start something with him because of our age difference, but we were very flirtatious and it felt right.Despite our <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-i-wish-i-knew-before-age-gap-relationship-2023-10">age gap</a>, I thought our relationship worked. We shared common values, and he helped me open up emotionally. He even challenged me in good ways so that I could grow.But it didn't last long. After nine months together, we called it quits. He had his own expectations and issues, while my anxiety around love and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/never-date-again-prefer-drama-free-single-life-2024-10">romantic relationships</a> kicked back in.I told him before our separation that he not only opened the doors for me professionally but also helped me open my heart. I'm a guarded person, and I've never fallen in love, but I believe our relationship was loving. That was a first for me.I appreciated Curly Gray Hair's maturity and what he saw in me. I felt seen and validated, which is exactly what I needed during that difficult time in my life.

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