TikTok just launched a new set of “wellness missions” designed to curb doomscrolling, but tech experts are immediately raising red flags about the platform’s true intentions, as per CBC. While the company is positioning these features as a massive win for teen mental health, critics fear this is simply another, more sophisticated mechanism for monopolizing our downtime and harvesting user data.
These new tools are baked into the app’s “Time and Well-being space,” which TikTok says it developed specifically with teen users in mind. Now, instead of just scrolling, you can take a break for a quick breathing exercise, listen to some soothing ocean sounds, or jot down a positive affirmation. The most interesting part, though, is the gamification: users can earn badges by completing these “wellness missions.” These tasks include staying off the app late at night, limiting overall screen time, and even inviting friends to try the missions themselves.
After its invisible watermark for AI rollout, TikTok claims this new hub was informed by feedback from teens who actively wanted tools to help them limit their social media use, and it relied on consultations with industry experts and its own Global Youth Council, which includes over 25 teens. Early testing showed that close to 40 per cent of people who saw the missions chose to explore them, which is a pretty high engagement rate for something tucked away in the settings.
The company has little financial incentive to truly advocate for users to log off
However, many experts believe the benefits are secondary to the business model. Riley McNair, a researcher focused on children’s privacy and data technology, notes that it is becoming incredibly difficult to find downtime that isn’t tracked and monetized by tech companies. We’ve normalized using online tools for everything from mindfulness to tracking fitness and fertility cycles.
McNair’s initial impression of the wellness hub is pretty damning: she thinks it’s “just another data collection mechanism.” She argues that since these features are optional and hidden in the user settings. “Everything will be collected,” McNair warns. “So the more time you spend on the platform, it provides the company more opportunity to gain insights and tailor their product to those users specifically.” After all, apps like TikTok generate revenue by keeping your eyes glued to the screen for as long as possible.
Technology and cybersecurity analyst Ritesh Kotak says TikTok is trying to “essentially monopolize” people’s downtime by incorporating meditation and breathing breaks directly within the platform. Kotak points out that we live in a mobile-first world, and if something isn’t available on a mobile app, people usually don’t want it. “The reality is, we’re all living on these devices now,” he said. “There’s a price to pay for that convenience.”
While the critics have strong points about the data capture, not everyone thinks the feature is purely malicious. Mental health advocate and influential creator Zachery Dereniowski, known as MDMotivator, sees real potential here. Dereniowski, who has more than 25 million followers, believes that given the power of the algorithm, if you’re going to be on the app anyway, being able to do “something positive or something that’s a form of self care, that could be super helpful, especially for the younger audience.”
It’s important to understand the significant pressure TikTok is under right now, which likely explains this proactive rollout. The company is currently facing lawsuits from more than a dozen U.S. states over its alleged harm to teens’ mental health. Lawsuits allege that TikTok’s own research correlates compulsive usage with negative mental health effects in young users. Other major players, including Meta, Snapchat, and YouTube, are grappling with similar legal actions.
Published: Jan 2, 2026 12:00 pm