I'm referencing this article: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/banning-small-talk
research has confirmed what most people know but don't practice: surface level small talk does not build relationships and it is not great for our happiness levels. The obvious question: if it's not that good for us, why does it prevail?
and
According to a 2010 study by social anthropologist Kate Fox, in Britain, more than nine in ten people admit to having talked about the weather in the last six hours. Around 38 per cent say they've talked about it in the past hour.
Is this representation of the research correct? Does the research paper represent current consensus on the matter?