Unfortunately, I must conjure that this is a dying breed of the past, it won't last except for a small group that is bonded for the same reasons.
The future is social networking and I can only see it going that way. The world is shifted towards faster, quicker communications rather than old fashioned ideology.
Kids these days are picking up quicker than the last generation of kids. There's something new each time.
There may be more stalkers due to the introduction of these networking sites, but it doesn't change the fact that they may have had it in them before the sites existed. Let's not also forget that the cyberpolicing is growing these days. Police are using social networking to catch and track the location of criminals.
I am no techno-luddite, I'm well aware of how it is used, I Just think just because its a trend doesn't make it as you say. Faster/quicker, yes I'm into all that, but as a TOOL which is all I see these things as being to various degrees, I do not buy the 'networking' thing in campaigning and profile awareness mode, it's a 'social' tool where trivia is 98% of the output, without being critical reading some responses by users seems to prove the point.
FB and Twitter COULD be used as an effective tool for deaf advancement but as yet I don't see it doing that, there are few if any campaigns for equality being generated, certainly NOT with twitter which is in my view a complete and utter waste of time, FB has possibilities, but I rather fear joe public has been seduced by the 'trend' and is not using it for the common good, just think WHAT deaf could achieve IF they could utilise facebook and its 400 million drones to back them up... All I see is exchanges about celebs, TV programs, whatever, I suppose it depends on WHAT you want out of a social network, even making 100s of 'friends' doesn't mean you can count on them backing deaf equality, soon as you mention politics/rights, social network contributors tend to turn off. It's about keeping percpective and understanding what these things really are.
They aren't a replacement or greater force for good, UNLESS used for that, and it isn't. I'd challenge it is a tool of use at present. I doubt many can name any real law change or advance in equality and rights that is down to social networking since it started. Talk is cheap, talk is fast, and trend is NOW, but what are they talking ABOUT ? We should use computers as tools, not let them tell us how best to socialise, which in deaf terms is only real face to face..