Reading books, listening to music or just getting on with things - but there were definitely replacements for modern mobile social media. Sending long SMS messages, or before that, email, or before that, physical snail mail or spending hours on a wired landline phone talking to someone. Occasionally using an internet cafe or satellite phone. Chatting, messaging or gaming on BBS’s. And so on.
Reading books, listening to music or just getting on with things - but there were definitely replacements for modern mobile social media. Sending long SMS messages, or before that, email, or before that, physical snail mail or spending hours on a wired landline phone talking to someone. Occasionally using an internet cafe or satellite phone. Chatting, messaging or gaming on BBS’s. And so on.