Picture: Pexels
For many employees, the workday is increasingly being consumed by meetings—and social media users are making it clear they’ve had enough.
On X, workers have been sharing stories about calendars packed with back-to-back virtual and in-person meetings, leaving little time to complete their actual work.
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The growing conversation has sparked debate about workplace productivity, with many questioning whether every meeting is truly necessary. X user ‘That Mpesu guy’ shared:
“Guys, all these meetings ya’ll are forever attending at work, what are you discussing?”
Guys all these meetings ya’ll are forever attending at work, what are you discussing?
— That Mpesu guy (@MokgethwaMacha1) August 5, 2026
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“A way forward.” https://t.co/bSo26BZT2V
— Manzi (@ClixWell) August 6, 2026
Complaints roll in
One common complaint is that meetings often cover topics that could have been communicated in a short email or instant message. Others say they spend hours discussing projects, only to return to overflowing inboxes and unfinished tasks.
Many remote and hybrid workers say video conferencing has made the problem worse. While virtual meetings have improved collaboration across different locations, they have also made it easier for organisations to schedule frequent check-ins, status updates and planning sessions.
Despite the funny social media frustrations, many workers acknowledge that meetings remain an important part of teamwork and decision-making.
It depends, I have 2 daily short standups with my team in SA to work on 2 critical issues. The standups will ease up once the issues are closed. So meetings are important but don’t do meetings for the sake of meetings, don’t stretch it to 1hr when it can be 15min. https://t.co/tA5qo4NFZN pic.twitter.com/evO02UPEWg
— Zanele Abraham (@zanele_matome) August 6, 2026
The challenge, they say, is finding the right balance between collaboration and giving employees enough uninterrupted time to get meaningful work done.
As businesses continue to adapt to hybrid and flexible working environments, the online debate suggests one thing is clear: employees want fewer meetings—and more time to focus on the work those meetings are meant to support.
Also see: Oscar Mbo addresses social media debate over viral picture with fan
Featured image: Pexels
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