Honestly, in my childhood opinion, it was fine, just trying out food and drinks (whether from shopping or restaurants), testing electronics and arcade games, maybe even buying some toys or going to indoor play areas.
Though the novelty of it soon worn out gradually, taking a walk and peek at around these areas for anything interesting is good once in a while, even if you're not buying anything.
Edit: on sec thoughts, should I place this in the urbanism community? And just so you know, I'm not an American, so I wouldn't know what butcherism might occur in the implementation of malls.
I like them for the people watching. For some reason, a lot of mall goers tend to dress in some sort of stereotyped uniforms. The goths are all extra goth, the old ladies all wear that same shade of lavender, the teens all rock the current trends in the most obnoxious ways, the wine moms all have the same sort of floral sundress on. You go into any given GameStop and you see the same basic cast of nerds. It's fun to see so many different types of people so clearly defined by their attire
And to be clear, it's not mean-spirited. I'm not doing it to laugh at them or anything. I just think it's interesting to see the ways that people project their identities, and because in the US that mostly happens through consumer behavior, the mall is the perfect observation site.