>>> what surprises me, is that sometimes programmers ask for it. it illustrates how strong the desire is to follow the latest trend.

While I'm far from a Scrum fan, it's not necessarily the worst thing in the world. For instance, it's probably better than "just do what the project manager says", especially if he tends towards micromanagement. And double-especially for people who thrive in group discussions but have trouble managing 1:1s.

I suspect the trades also look different depending on level of experience. Scrum, at least in some incarnations, tends to be quite egalitarian, so I can see it appealing to more junior devs in environments where they feel the seniors get to do all the interesting stuff.