I'm 42. Started using forums in my late 20's. Social media wasn't really a thing yet. Forums in the early days would sometimes have chat boxes where you could talk instantly. The chances of catching someone online to ask a question was low, but you could leave a post in their thread and they'd get back with you. Good mix of immediate convenience and searchable history. Figure this was also the days of laptops in the garage were a convenience vs being tethered to the house computer.
Now we got smart phones with blazing fast internet speeds. Why would I sit behind a desktop and type on a keyboard when I can shout out a quick social media text and keep working on my bike? I haven't fired up an actual computer, or paid for internet service in YEARS. I have completely unlimited data on my $45/mo cellphone and the 4G service is wicked fast compared to the shitty satellite service available out here in the boonies.
Things change, but that's not bad. Forums need to be kept alive, but the ability to communicate immediately through other types of apps is also very helpful. I like them both.
I used to be very active on one bike building forum ( customfighters) but VS bought the place and sucked the wild west soul out of that place that made it amazing. I'm now part of a WhatsApp group where some the main players of that forum have assembled themselves and we talk freely amongst ourselves all day, every day. And it's easy. Pull out your phone, type for 5 seconds, back in your pocket. Snap a quick pic, "y'all know how to fix this?", answered and done immediately.
Guys from the US, Scotland, Latvia, Finland, Canada, Wales. It's awesome. We communicate on a deeper level than we ever did through a forum. I don't just see what's new on their build, I also see their new patio, how their new job is going, their kids first day of school.
The internet is a shit hole if you let it be, but it's also pretty damn awesome if you decide to use it correctly. Info is still being shared, just not stored. Just like when I was a teenager and sought out the gray hairs for info, that hasn't changed. You just gotta find the gray hairs online, and that's easier than you might think.
People that are passionate about hobbies don't let small things like the internet interfere with their goals.