Stuck in The Social Network Cobweb

It seems these days that social networking is a topic that most people know of, but most don't know what to do with it. Of course these networks are an outlet for people that kind of know each other to peer through the window at someone else's life and have the opportunity to comment on their every action. This leaves me thinking, is all this online networking worth it, I mean the majority of these people may never see each other but will give a thumbs up or down on their actions. It seems silly to me that these people would care about others comments on their actions or why they would even post pictures of last week's party. However since I am blessed with a super-powered brain, I am able to see past the fog. Social networking is a perfect platform for advertising. It is free, you are able to see results because of the interaction and you have a captivated market because of the vast popularity of the trend.