People have been smoking tobacco for THOUSANDS of years

Labor has changed as well. Computers made things more productive but less movements do to efficiency. Counting bills and coins, sorting them, arranging them to have them the way you like in a drawer/ wallet. Those were fidgets. Doing the math, writing checks/receipts, writing in general, pen goes click click click. Scribble scribble scribble. Need to ask someone something, or confirm information, walk over to desk, locate book, flip flip flip, scan scan scan, confirm, walk walk walk, tell so and so. We walk on average half as much as we did in say the 80s.

Also bright flashing lights and instant dopamine hits have trained us to expect them more often, crave them more often. Our televisions and phones show us content that looks more like casinos because it demands attention.

They are more fun than looping two paper clips through each other and dragging them through like a quick game.

I noticed in Turkey that men play with their prayer beads, twisting it and flipping it always in the same way. I asked my Turkish husband if they were praying on the train... Nope, just using it as a fidget toy.

I was just talking about something along these lines with people recently and it was pointed out that the further back in time you go, the more things you had to do which filled your time. Instead of ordering clothes online, you'd have to make them yourself. Instead of grocery shopping, you'd grow your own food. Instead of driving, you'd walk or ride an animal.