I think part of it is people reacting to the general anxiety of an airport. It is easy to get stressed out and its easy to go into 'task management' mode. It is always a bit chaotic in an airport, and its natural to want to control what you can control, and that is yourself and where you are going.

So, some of it is a mindfulness technique to block out the anxiety and let the chaos happen.

If you like going into 'airport mode', then by all means, go for it. But if you find it creates unnecessary anxiety and stress with your travel mates, then sometimes its worth trying to understand where the feeling is coming from and find other ways to not let the general chaos of the airport impact your 'vibe'.

That being said, there is nothing fun about trying to get to your gate in an overcrowded airport and having to weave through crowds. It can be really annoying. People aren't often self aware and they sometimes amble while staring at their phones. The key is to not let it get to you too much.