a few possible scenarios that I, personally, have encountered:
1. It's a group chat including people who aren't there, possibly also offering directions so they can join.
2. They're looking at the menu, because of course that has to be online now.
3. They're neurodivergent and need to decompress between bouts of socialising.
4. They're playing a game together.
5. They've fallen out and are taking a break from each other so they can sort it out.
6. They've had a very active few hours and need to switch off for a bit now they're sitting down.
7. They're looking up things to do when their meal is finished.
8. They're checking in on a friend who is going through a major life event.
9. They're looking up something that one of them mentioned so they can discuss it among the group.
In all cases, try mentally replacing the phones with books, newspapers, or other printed media. Does it still look like a problem?
All too often, people assume that whatever is going on on the screen has little value purely because it's on a screen. The assumption is that it *must* be time-wasting, attention-draining tripe. That isn't always the case.
