'Call me old fashioned but...': Man attacks Gen Z for not adding 'Sir' to his greeting, internet is divided

In the United States, informal addressing is often the norm, contrasting sharply with the more formal traditions observed in India and other South Asian countries, where cultural respect dictates a different approach. However, this divergence has often led to misunderstandings, particularly when younger professionals adopt a casual tone that may not resonate with their senior counterparts, who often prefer traditional forms of address. 

Recent commentary from writer and blogger Saket on X shed light on this issue, illustrating how a seemingly innocuous LinkedIn message can spark controversy.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Saket recounted an encounter with a recent graduate from his alma mater. The graduate's informal greeting, "Hi Saket," struck Saket as disrespectful, prompting him to reflect on the importance of maintaining respect in professional interactions. 

“Call me old-fashioned,” Saket wrote, “but had connected with a young fresh 2025 pass out from my college when he sent message on LinkedIn. His first message started with - Hi Saket, we are from same college…. And he lost me there itself. Son, you are 2025 pass out and address 1994 pass out with first name. I still address 1993 and earlier pass out as ‘Sir’. This Americanised culture."

The post quickly gained traction, amassing over 1.2 million views and igniting a lively debate in the comments section.

Supporters of Saket's perspective emphasized the importance of respect in addressing seniors, with one user noting, "Saket ji, this is nothing Nowadays, the Sir culture is vanishing from MNCs and kids in colleges are also getting trending in the same way. Right now, through some films/web series, the culture of calling parents by name is being served, in a few years that too will become acceptable in the society."

Another echoed this sentiment, stating, "Still calling my college seniors sir after 15 years, some of them joined work at the same time as me."

Conversely, some commenters argued for a more relaxed approach to addressing seniors, suggesting that such informality is not inherently disrespectful.

One user commented, "Sir culture roots back to colonial days, referring your british masters as sir. Using Sir while communicating in english is just as bad as not using "Ji" and only using first name in hindi."

Backing the same argument, a second user said, "So age = respect ? It's interesting that you're calling out americanised culture however the usage of "Sir" was never an Indian thing , it's British. Decades have passed since independence but people still have dependence on culture introduced by the British. Sad !"