To the left, to the left: 11 reasons to swipe left on your favourite dating app

Dating can be hard, so we thought we’d simplify things by giving you 11 reasons to swipe left on a potential match.

Maybe these dating app tips will help you narrow down plenty of fish to just one or two.

Red flags in their bio

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Navigating dating apps can be a frustrating experience, and sometimes potential red flags might not be obvious.

Whether it’s a subtle sexist or misogynistic comment or something more overt, including racist or homophobic tendencies, if it gives you the ick reading it, you won’t like it any better hearing those comments in person so it’s best to swipe left.

No bio at all

Trum Ronnarong / Shutterstock

You have no reason to swipe right if someone doesn’t have a bio. That is unless you’re into mysteries or you really, really need a date. We don’t judge! However, considering some of the horror stories we hear about, maybe it’s time to judge a little. There are some odd folks out there, and if you have no information at all, it kind of opens the door to some of them.

Inappropriate profile photos

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

If you’re scrolling through someone’s profile pics and spot a d*ck pic or an inappropriate picture of a similar nature, swiping left might be your best bet. It’s a good preview of the kind of relationship they will be bringing to the table.

Fake profile photos

An AI-generated image of a little cat pretending to be a lion. (Shutterstock AI Generator/Shutterstock)

It might be hard to spot a fake profile photo, but sometimes you must trust your gut. If you want to take things to the next level, you can try a reverse image search to see if that photo already exists online. You can also have a video chat before meeting in person through most apps, which offers a bit of a safety step to avoid being catfished.

No shared interests

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Do you hate cats but they have 10 of them? Are you vegan but they are a cattle rancher? This might seem like common sense to some but even if you’re insanely attracted to someone, odds are, if you have no shared interests, things won’t last. But maybe that’s what you want.

They want your money

LookerStudio/Shuterstock

Friends, we should know this by now. Sadly, unfortunately, regretfully, there are some not-so-nice people out there who are out to prey on the lonely, and we don’t want you to be one of them. If people are asking you for money, don’t give it to them.

Plus, there’s another trick to be aware of: Sugar dating scams.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says scammers pretend to be rich and promise to give you money in exchange for calls, photos, or dates and they pay the victim with a cheque on the pretense that they donate a bit to charity.

“But the ‘orphanage’ or ‘charity’ is actually linked to the scammer. When the victim tries to cash their ‘sugar baby’ cheque, it bounces and they are unable to recoup the funds,” the BBB said about this romance scam.

As well, if people are asking you about your income through a dating app, even if they aren’t scammers, they still sound scummy.

They don’t live near you

Marshalik Mikhail/Shutterstock

This one isn’t a dealbreaker for everyone, but it needs to be thought out! If you hate being in the car for an hour before a date, or you’re violently opposed to certain neighbourhoods, you shouldn’t start a long-distance love affair. If you don’t have a car and don’t live anywhere near public transit, it is also something to consider. Those Uber costs add up!

They don’t live in Canada

Kevin_Hsieh/Shutterstock

Further to the distance requirement, with many Canadian cities nestled along the US border, it’s important to note that if you set your kilometres too far you will likely match with a US cutie, by accident or not. Can’t find your passport? Don’t have a passport? Can’t cross the border with your PR card? You want to think ahead before you take your love international.

They want to take you into the woods

A lovely wooded area or a potential crime scene? (Joanna Szypulska/Shutterstock)

We get it, hiking is a very popular weekend pastime. But for those who love the great outdoors and want to spend their days off the grid, it’s important to remember that many of these locations are NOT good for a first date. If you’ve never met a person, why would you go into a remote and secluded area with them with no cell service and no one around to help you if you run into trouble? We have to ask because the number of times that a hike is floated as the first date means some of you never watched scary movies growing up or — real talk — the news. This theme also vetoes first dates by private boat to a “secret spot.” Ah. Say no.

“I’m kind of a big deal.”

IMDB

Unless you actually find Ron Burgundy on Tinder or whatever app you’re hopelessly looking for love on, anyone bragging about how special he or she is probably isn’t worth your time.

Posing with a fish in their main profile photo

joppo/Shutterstock

Need we say more?