I actually think the 'so' meme is dying out. A few years back it was the "thing to do" to begin sentences with 'so'. It added a sense of modesty to whatever followed. A false sense of modesty.
I noticed it a lot on NPR especially among the newer younger "journalists". They didn't want to sound like know-it-alls so they used the 'so' to ease us into whatever liberal nonsense they were about to spew.
I got sooooo annoyed at the overuse of 'so' that I finally stopped listening to the eNemy at NPR. Now if I want to know what they're up to I just have to look out the window as they march by.
My feeling about your comments: just so so.
Lol. The 20 and 30 something’s, male and female, both start every farging sentence with !so¡
It’s quite insane. I’m in the Midwest, maybe we’re lagging in its popularity. Annoying AF.