My nieces have some of their friend’s mothers as friends and the mothers converse like they were the same age. Now, that creeps me out. Parents/parents of friends are not peers and should never try to be equals.
You zeroed in on the problem. Electronic messaging, things like FB and texting bypass in-oerson mores and social controls that have served for generations. We were warned, in certain prophecies, that the era of instant worldwide communications would precede some really bad things (i.e. breakdown of conventions, loss of traditional roles in society. This is happening).