So, why is "so" being used like this?

Question

I first noticed it during an interview a journalist was doing with a presidential candidate. The journalist asked questions. Each time the candidate started his answer with the word "so". Now I am hearing this strange usage everywhere. It is as though the word "so" is replacing "um" and "uh" or something. I'm no linguist. My punctuation and sentence structure is probably pedestrian at best. However, this use of "so" is getting out of hand.

"What did you do today?"

"So, I walked the dog."

Also starting to see, "Okay, so..." and "sure" thrown in too.

Is "so" the elite form of "like"?

Many people refer to a highly-experienced politician as an "old so-and-so" and until now, I mistakenly thought it was a euphemism for an ugly comment regarding the politician's mother. — , Sep 20 '14 at 23:46
I first started noticing the practice in the 90s, primarily among hard-science and academic types, and from Europeans more than Americans. It seems to have become much more common in the years since, though. Here's some interesting commentary: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/22/us/22iht-currents.html?_r=0. Also see http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2570. — szarka, Sep 21 '14 at 01:24

So, why is "so" being used like this?

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