Like it really has become most annoying and irritating

Why is everyone inserting the word ‘like’ a number of times into every sentence they speak?

It is particularly common with young people, who now seem unable to say a single sentence without including ‘like’.

For students learning English it seems the first word they learn is ‘like’.

The sentence below appears in The Irish Times yesterday. What does the use of ‘like’ add to the meaning of the sentence.

"It seems like the more he shows off his muscles, the more bloodthirsty he becomes."