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.
Open air malls are just markets I'd feel. I've been, sort of by necessity, to loads of very pedestrian reachable malls in europe and they all still suck fucking ass because it puts consumerism front and center and only that. It feels like a casino except you can't play anything.