Shopping Mall as Crack-House

I happened to find myself in a shopping mall yesterday evening. Since I hate the mall (I don't enjoy crowded, noisy environments even when they have some redeeming value, and monuments to unsustainable consumerism don't qualify), and usually only go there to consume Orange Julius/Dairy Queen products, I was amazed by the number of people that seemed to be spending time there voluntarily. Entire families were sitting around the food court, just soaking up the mall atmosphere. But what really struck me was that these shoppers didn't seem to be having any fun. In fact, I couldn't help but notice the complete ABSENCE of any visible happiness. In a crowded shopping mall, I didn't see one single person with a smile on his or her face. Even my wife, my daughter and I didn't really enjoy ourselves, despite our frozen treats. It's obvious that the typical shopping mall maintains an environment completely antithetical to human joy (I've always felt that way myself anyway), but I'm fairly certain that it's the "mall" that's unpleasant, more than the "shopping." I've been to marketplaces that are lively, engaging, and even relaxing (I don't think it's a coincidence that they're usually of the independent-merchant-run, open-air variety), and certainly the bazaar (together with the temple) has always been the central gathering place of humankind. The puzzle is why - despite the aversive stimulus - normal, presumably sane people choose to spend there anyway. The only theory I have is that our society starves its citizens of unmediated social interaction (i.e. human contact that doesn't involve some kind of machine) to such a degree that on a hot Saturday afternoon, people who crave the company of their fellow human beings literally have nowhere better to go. I find this interesting for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's a fairly heavy-handed - if unsurprising - comment on our culture. Secondly, it suggests that if people who own shopping malls gave some thought to creating a more enjoyable marketplace experience, they would probably make a lot more money. Thirdly, it contributes to my general understanding of our society as a "Culture of Excess." After all, since the average American consumes too much junk food, runs up too much credit card debt, and wastes too much time, it's unsurprising that an environment that fosters exactly such behavior is a place he finds both superficially comfortable and fundamentally distressing. People are drawn to a place that is accepting and encouraging of their self-destructive behavior, yet they feel miserable for continuing with such behavior. Apparently, the shopping mall functions as not only a microcosm of our society (which clearly follows the same trajectory), but as an extension of the basic cycle of addiction. I consume too much, so I feel bad, so I go somewhere that tells me I haven't done anything wrong (and where I can feel a sense of community), and while I'm there I consume more to make myself feel better, but then I've consumed too much, so I feel bad ... etc. Whether it's a bar, a crack-house, or a shopping mall, apparently the behavior pattern is the same. And to think that all I wanted was some ice cream.