I don't think that deeply about it and suspect you're misinterpreting the goals of their target audience. I don't use Duolingo to learn a language as effective

I don't think that deeply about it and suspect you're misinterpreting the goals of their target audience. I don't use Duolingo to learn a language as effectively as possible. I use it because it's a super easy and an entertaining way to stay motivated while I learn a language. I would never go out of my way to take a class or watch videos to learn the language. I don't think people are "falling for it". It does exactly what they want it to do for them.