People should bring more stimulating reading along. And conversing with other travellers is also an option. Laptops and Blackberry-type devices provide even more options. It's pretty pathetic when people just have to compulsively shop or eat to keep their flimsy brains from imploding.
You can only read or stare at a screen so much. If you have a four hour layover and then a five hour flight it's nice to be able to save the reading for the plane. Plus, it's healthy to walk around the terminal, not just sit since sitting is what you'll be doing on the plane. Some airports are almost fun to be stuck in, others are just torture.