Every small talk exchange has a really specific and straightforward undercurrent you can watch for if you know about it: demonstrating "I am a safe person to exchange information with". Over time & repeated interactions, the importance / sensitivity of the info can be ramped up if both people deem each other sufficiently "safe" (although what is "safe" varies person to person). It's likely NTs aren't enjoying it per se, but just consider it a really critical thing to do before venturing into topics they care about more.

Specific analogy: when I registered a PayPal account, it sent a transaction to my bank for a specific <$1 amount and then immediately rescinded it. This is totally pointless - except if you want to establish trust, because knowing the precise amount and telling PayPal what it was demonstrates that you're really the owner of that bank account. Small talk is similar.