Using Tinder in Yellowknife is daunting for daters

Jacq Brasshas used Tinder in Yellowknife and in bigger cities, and she says the differencesin her hometown, compared to larger cities, are clear.

"It's mostly just everybody that I went to high school with all on theinternettogether," she says, laughing."I'm going to swipe right on you, drunkenly send you a Tinder message and I'm going tosee you in a board room tomorrow."

Tinder is a dating app that allows a person to set out who and what they're looking for andfind compatible matches in theircity.

It then gives you the option to swipe left or right on aperson: left means you're not interested,right means you are.

In big cities, the possibilities seem endless. A person could find hundreds of matches within a five-kilometre radius.But in Yellowknife, a city of about 20,000 people, where everyone seems to know everyone, the dating app can be daunting.

"People are less forward because there's a chance that you're seeing your ex-roommate's sister or something," Brasssays.

Liz Fox agrees."I say Yellowknife is where dating comes to die," she said via the app.

But Brasssays even swiping right on someone she knows can turn out for the best.

"Tinder isn't about meeting people, but rather meeting people you've already met to see if they want to date you."

She says Tinder is also one of the few dating services that allows you to select that you're interested in both men and women.

"A big part of why I use Tinder is to meet other queer women," Brasssays.

Sexual harassment 'a reality for a woman on the internet'

Brasssays there are somenegatives to dating services like Tinder, such as the barrage of sexual harassment both men and women face.

"I've had friends that were sexually harassed on Tinder, but I just think that's a reality for a woman on the internet," she says.

Fox echoes that, saying harassment is everywhere online and Tinder is only part of the larger picture.

Speaking from behind a keyboard, users have a feeling of anonymity and Brasssays things can quickly go downhill with name calling and abusive messages.

"If you're a woman on the internet and you don't laugh at [all the harassment] ...you'll probably quit," Brasssays.

And that's exactly what shedoes when she gets sick of Tinder.

But even after deleting the app,she always finds herself reinstalling it down the road, saying it's like having a childhood crushthe adrenaline keeps her logged on and swiping right.