‘Call me old-fashioned but…’: Man attacks Gen Z for not adding ‘sir’ to their greeting, and the internet is divided

In the United States, informal discourse is often the norm, which contrasts sharply with the more formal traditions observed in India and other South Asian countries, where cultural respect dictates a different approach. However, this difference has often led to misunderstanding, especially when young professionals adopt an informal tone that may not resonate with their more senior counterparts, who often prefer traditional forms of address.

A recent comment by writer and blogger Saket on X highlighted this issue, showing how a seemingly innocuous LinkedIn message can spark controversy.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sackett recounted an encounter with a recent graduate of his alma mater. The graduate’s informal greeting, “Hey Sackett,” came across as disrespectful, which got him thinking about the importance of maintaining respect in professional interactions.

“Call me old-fashioned,” Sackett wrote, “but I connected with a guy fresh out of my college in 2025 when he sent a message on LinkedIn. His first message started with – Hi Sackett, we’re from the same college…. and he lost me there himself. Son , you are 2025 passed out and the title is 1994 passed out by the first name. I still address the year 1993 and before that I lost the title of “Sir, this American culture.”

The post quickly gained traction, garnering more than 1.2 million views and sparking a lively discussion in the comments section.

Supporters of Saket’s view emphasized the importance of respect in addressing elders, with one user noting, “Saket ji, this is nothing nowadays, walk culture is disappearing from MNCs and kids in colleges are also becoming popular in the same way. Currently, from During some films and web series, the culture of calling parents by name is reinforced, and in a few years this will also become acceptable in society.

Another echoed this sentiment, saying: “I still call my college graduates sir after 15 years, some of whom joined the business at the same time as me.”

Conversely, some commentators have argued for a more relaxed approach to dealing with older people, suggesting that such informality is not inherently disrespectful.

One user commented, “Sidhi culture has its roots in colonial days, where you refer to your British masters as Sir. Using Siddi while communicating in English is just as bad as not using ‘Ji’ and using only their first name in Hindi.”

Supporting the same argument, another user said: “So age = respect? Interesting that you are criticizing American culture but using ‘sir’ was never an Indian thing, it’s British. It’s been decades since independence but people still do that.” Dependence on culture introduced by the British is sad!”