Of Starting with a "Like"

One of the things I notice, in Singapore, is that people love using the word "like" when they begin a conversation.

A lot of people speak English here and you can catch snippets of it while waiting for transport or when you're in a bus/MRT. 

They say phrases that go like this

Like how fantastic is that...
Like real only...
Like awesome, he asked me to have dinner with him...
Like you know when he sent that text message...
Like so funny when she lost her balance...
Like way cool...

I should add that it's mostly the younger generation that speak this way.  I wonder if it's a trend or it's part of the culture here.