A Starbucks barista and full-time student recently went viral after posting a heartfelt video about feeling overwhelmed by their 25-hour workweek—including back-to-back eight-hour weekend shifts. In the emotional clip, they opened up about the pressure of juggling school, long shifts, poor management, and disrespectful customers.

“I’m at my wits’ end,” they said tearfully. “I get scheduled from open to close on weekends, and there are only four of us working the floor. Managers don’t care, and customers are rude and often misgender me.”

The video struck a nerve online, sparking both sympathy and scorn.

Far-right commentator Sebastian Gorka mocked the clip on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Trans Barrister has meltdown because 8 hours is too long to work on a day…”—a post that was widely criticized not only for its cruelty but also for the typo in “barrister.”

Many echoed Gorka’s dismissiveness, claiming the barista needs to “toughen up.” “I worked 70 hours a week,” one person wrote. “This kid doesn’t know what hard work is.”

But others came to the barista’s defense, pointing out the difficulty of balancing full-time school with a demanding job. “This person isn’t lazy—they’re burned out,” one supporter said. “Being in class 15 hours a week, doing 30 hours of homework, and working 25 hours? That’s 70 hours a week.”

The video sparked a wider conversation about working conditions for young service workers, mental health, and the unrealistic expectations placed on students who must work to support themselves.

“They’re venting. They’re exhausted. Let them be human,” another viewer wrote.