Everyone loves a good dating app. Whenever a new one comes around, curious individuals download it to see what new possibilities come from it.
Usually, they’re few and far between. These “new” apps are not too different from the ones we’ve already seen.
However, in the wake of current political issues in the United States, one dating app has risen above the rest as the most bizarre: Maple Match.
Maple Match is a dating app that connects Americans seeking to immigrate to Canada with Canadians looking for love.
Right from the start, you know what Maple Match is out to accomplish. “Worried about life under a Trump presidency?” the homepage asks.
The whole premise of the app is simultaneously intriguing and hilarious to me, so a friend and I sat down and downloaded the app.
The app boasts not having a swiping feature in hopes of easier access, so there are just pictures of men and women on the home page, much like the interface of Grindr.
My friend went through the motions of setting up her profile to make sure she was just as desirable online as she is in person.
Not many profiles were available to interact with, and my friend was disappointed with her options.
“I thought Canadians were supposed to be hot,” she said. If you’re depending on hot Canadians using this app, this might be a deal breaker for you.
However, upon exploring the app more, we discovered that there was a survey section.
The questions in the surveys were surprisingly inclusive and thoughtful.
Of course, the most important question (one that the website showcases as an example): Would you ever date someone who voted for Donald Trump?
My friend quickly clicked “Never. Absolute deal breaker.”
Disappointed with the lack of features, we looked to the website for answers. The FAQ revealed to us that the app is still in development.
It also answered one of my questions from the beginning: did they create this app just for Americans wanting to emigrate?
The app was indeed created to connect Americans with Canadians in this way, but the creators have said that even if Trump was not elected president, they would keep the app online to continue to connect Americans and Canadians.
Overall, I don’t think the app is worth the time. Given the difficulties and costs inherent in moving north of the border, you probably won’t end up meeting your dream partner. The chances of meeting are even lower than meeting with that kid who lives in the dorm next door.
Plus, the app did not run very well. We waited at least 10 minutes for the messaging screen to load. Notifications came through, but nothing appeared in the messaging boxes.
The difficulties of using this app appropriately parallels to the difficulties involved with immigrating to Canada.
Really, the only good that came out of this experience was my friend was granted with the opportunity to finally use the phrase “maple daddy.”
mmgarbac@indiana.edu
