Role of small talk in academia
People who work together find it natural to also interact in small (or large) ways not connected to the work itself. We aren't robots programmed to do a job and the job only.
Over time, a certain level of caring might naturally develop among colleagues, even when their primary communication is about work.
And, I'll guess (and predict) that this level of  human contact actually makes the work easier and more efficient when not taken to extremes (three hour poker or D&amp;D sessions, say). I think many of us have the experience that it is harder to work with someone who refuses to do this and sets up a wall of isolation. Integrating a new person into a work environment often takes a fair amount of this sort of interaction.
Life is life. Work is only a part of that. You don't put your human nature in a box when you go to work, I hope.