What I suppose some people worry about is stuff like:
1. That they will have some means of feeding themselves and their families going forward
2. That they won't be at the whim of increasingly totalitarian (and arbitrary) governments with increasing power
3. That they will continue to find human connection
4. That they won't be overwhelmed by lots of crap content
If someone _thinks_ there's a problem, there _is_ a problem: It's pretty tricky to talk people out of their fears. You can tell them to shut up, or you can address their fears and make them feel better about the future. That typically includes putting some checks and balances in place, as well as adjusting their expectations.
China started doing mass surveillance early on, they're probably better at the technologies involved than the average country. By your logic, other countries should stop whining about it and start doing the same (or more), to not be left behind. I don't think everyone needs to do the worst thing that's technically possible to do. Sometimes those things aren't even all that beneficial for the success of a country, which I'd measure in citizen satisfaction and safety from hostile countries ultimately.