Scott, I believe you said it perfectly. I enjoy and participate regularly in facebook and twitter. Twitter is how I became aware of this article! However, communication, and I would add knowledge, is not the goal of the Christian. Of course, we want all to come to "know" Christ, but that is only the beginning. It is about living Christ and following Christ. Facebook is great and there is community within it, but true community is felt face to face and in honest conversations where we see, feel, hear, and physically relate to other people.
To answer the original question, I would say that NO, this can't be compared to our grandparents community.
Aaron

I have wondered about that too. You hear people saying, "God told me to do this or go there," it seems like it's more of our own selfishness that says these things. I think it's a good idea to be careful when to say, "God told me this..." God gives us all choices to make and whether it's choice A or choice B or choice Z, God will still be with us and work in our lives.