Tinder trials and tribulations

Users of dating app share their stories

With all of this talk of love in the air, I figured it was time to put on my Nancy Drew hat and do some real hard-hitting investigative journalism for you, in the name of romance. Last week I bravely went where no happily-coupled Cape Breton writer has gone before… Tinder.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, Tinder is a popular app that markets itself as a location-based social search app for meeting others. “Tinder is more than a dating app. It’s a cultural movement,” claims their website. If you polled 100 people, however, I’m willing to bet most of them would classify Tinder as a “hook-up app.”

Essentially, Tinder allows you to create a profile and connect with other people in your area based on the age, distance, and gender(s) you select. You can swipe right if you’re interested, and left if you’re not. If you both swipe right, a conversation will open between your profiles and you’re free to start chatting with each other.

I’ve never had Tinder myself, but have heard plenty of stories from friends, some of whom have lucked out and others who have struck out. While most of them tend to use the app for a quick fling here and there, and often have disaster-stories to share, a few couples have actually married their Tinder matches. So is it really all bad? I needed to get to the bottom of it.

Wanting to be completely transparent, I created my account with the following bio:

“Writing a column about Tinder. Message me if you’re down to share your experiences, successes, failures, hilarious stories or whatever else comes to mind.” I set my preferences as wide as possible, swiped right on every profile that appeared, and sat in wait. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Aside from a few creeps who ignored everything I was saying, most people were kind enough to share their thoughts for the piece. Here are a few of the more interesting responses, with names changed for privacy.

Mark, 28: What led me to Tinder was the need for romance. I’m a hopeless romantic and tired of being alone.”

Amy, 27: My nightmare happened when I accidentally matched with a client from work. I unmatched as quickly as possible and kept my fingers crossed that they wouldn’t notice.

Raj, 22: A lot of people I know use Tinder because they want to see what options are out there, outside of their current partner.

Brianna, 25: I met my boyfriend on Tinder, so he made downloading the app worthwhile. Now I just keep it as a way to meet new friends.

Sam, 22: A friend of mine discovered his long-term girlfriend was on Tinder. He couldn’t confront her because he only found out by being on Tinder himself.

John, 32: I’m just here because I need to socialize with someone other than my cat.

I must admit, watching that little flame icon wiggle and disappear as I deleted the app provided a huge sense of relief. I’m sending my props to all those who have the guts and patience to keep swiping; I hope you all find what you’re looking for!