Is the overuse of "so" not that good?

Question

Sometimes, I hear many people use "so" a lot during a presentation, tutorial, lecture, and also normal conversation. Is it bad, or is it just a matter of favor?

Answer 1

I would say that "so," although having its purpose, can be used too often by speakers. Like using "well" or "um..", it can be used for a pause or to transition to the next step or idea. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can be overused, especially by native speakers.

Answer 2

Bad or good is an opinion, and too much of anything is usually bad, but certainly it happens all the time.

It seems to me that people use "so" mostly because they are nervous during a presentation. Other reasons to overuse it is habit; like "like" or "um" words become trendy and are are to stop using sometimes. It's a "crutch".

Otherwise, "so" is a good tool to use to insert yourself into a conversation, or to redirect or focus a conversation.