Everyone has an opinion on Twitter. Even the CEO came out today to say that they have to address their abuse problem. Youtube has an abuse problem. So does Instagram. Those platforms are growing. Heck- the whole internet has a meanie problem if you let stupid people get to you.

Why is Twitter suffering? Because smart people love Twitter. Dumb people ‘don’t get it.’

SciFi had the same dilemma. In it’s pre Syfy days, before wrestling circulated it’s line up, the executives had a huge problem. Their shows were being torrented, only a small number of the audience was watching live, and DVR playback numbers were dismal. Good science fiction costs money, from the writers to the sets. Meanwhile shows like Teen Mom and Duck Dynasty, which cost nothing to make, drew in huge audiences and large ad revenues. The only smart thing for SciFi to do was re-brand their network for a more ‘mainstream’ audience. New name, new shows, more rating. It worked. Dumb sells and shows like Eureka rode off into the sunset.

No one cares about your lunch.

A picture’s worth a thousand words and requires no thought process. Snap a pic of vegan granola- 500 likes. Drooling dog- 700 likes. Half naked girl- 15,000 likes. Instagram plays into the vapid and boring. You can filter that picture of Saturday night all you want, but you’re still just another human at a nightclub.

Twitter requires more. Cerebrals on the site tend to do well. Writers, comedians, engineers- people of value add to the experience. We don’t care about your lunch- unless it comes with a funny story in under 140 characters. Keep the dogs- we’re cats. While naked girls do well in every part of the internet, on Twitter, you’re just another retweeted picture.

Don’t hate…appreciate.

Twitter should embrace it’s inner nerd. Unlike, SyFy, who ran out to get plastic surgery, the bird is still one of the best places for breaking news. If it’s on Twitter today, give it three days to hit Facebook. Ferguson broke on Twitter. So did Eric Gardner. Facebook intentionally hides these stories. By changing its algorithm to be more like Zuckerberg, they’re only playing a losing game.

You’re the smart kid. Instagram is that weird dude with a beeper. Facebook is our annoying aunt. Snapchat is a naked 12 year old. Embrace it.