I only keep contact with them on the radio. They are not exactly my friends. I mean I don't know them personally.
I couldn't even know (meet) most of them personally, because I speak with foreign people most of the time (due to the nature of the shortwave propagation).

I am not good at personal communication because of my autism spectrum disorder and I live with other disabilities and because of that I don't have real life (personal) friends.

Not to mention the fact that a lot of the amateur radio operators don't use computers/internet so I couldn't even contact them any other way, even If I would like to. Except a paper letter (mail) of course.
But mentioning Steemit to them would be pointless/meaningless.