Any thoughts on why the ages of 26 and 27 appear to be the mode (especially for "social" startups)?
Not sure that I can speak to the prevalence of social startups in this age range, apart from the obvious "kids these days" take on it. Bear in mind, though, that it's not purely a representation of what 26- and 27-year-old founders are doing -- it's also reflective of YC's position.
We were exactly the cohort who got facebook off the ground - I joined in March of '04, spring of my freshman year - so while we may not be "social web natives" depending on your interpretation of such a noxious term, we're definitely well-acquainted with it. Probably well enough acquainted to feel that we know what features are missing, what niches are underserved, or something along those lines, with existing social services.