why is duolingo icon crying

The Duolingo icon is crying because Duolingo updated its mascot, Duo, to look sad, tired, or even sick as a psychological and marketing strategy. This design change is meant to grab users' attention and encourage them to use the app more frequently. The sad or crying Duo symbolizes the mascot being fed up with reminding users to complete their lessons and taps into users' emotional connection to motivate continued engagement with language learning. This change and similar ones (such as a melting or tired Duo) serve to create buzz, shared experiences among users, and drive app usage by making the icon stand out on their devices. Some users find the crying icon bothersome or off- putting, but it is part of Duolingo's ongoing efforts to keep users engaged and motivated.