Columnist shames graduate for refusing to call him 'Sir' in LinkedIn message, gets a reality check online

Addressing seniors in professional settings can be a sensitive topic, especially in India, where traditions greatly influence how people interact. It is common to use formal titles like "Sir" or "Madam" when speaking to elders or seniors. This practice has been part of workplaces and schools for a long time and is deeply rooted in the culture.

However, as global work cultures become more common, many people are moving toward a more casual way of addressing people on different seniority levels. Using first names is now considered normal and encouraged in many modern workplaces. While some see this as a positive change, others feel it goes against traditional values and shows a lack of respect for seniors.

This difference between old traditions and modern practices recently became a hot topic on social media after writer and columnist Saket—who goes by @saket71 on X—posted a tweet. Saket shared his frustration about being addressed casually by a younger professional in a LinkedIn message, which sparked widespread debate.

"Call me old-fashioned, but a 2025 pass-out from my college messaged me on LinkedIn and started with - 'Hi Saket, we are from the same college...' And he lost me there itself. Son, you are a 2025 pass-out, and you address a 1994 pass-out by their first name? I still address 1993 and earlier pass-outs as 'Sir.' This Americanised culture," his tweet read.

The tweet immediately went viral, garnering over a million views and igniting heated discussions in the comment section. Many users resonated with Saket's perspective, sharing their anecdotes about maintaining respect for seniors through formal addresses. @surya19m commented, “Colleges and people from the same community—we usually always greet with respect (sir/brother/dada/anna/...) if they are elder to us.” @shivamudgil shared, “I seriously get this. The GenZ are mostly entitled. They don't believe in respect and discipline. Forget respect, I feel good if they come to work on all days of the week.” 

@KannadaBoy91 said they resonated with both sides, "I get both sides. Using sir is widespread in India as a mark of addressing seniors in the workplace/school/college/etc., without really implying respect. It's more of a habit/acquired as tradition. However, to call someone on a first-name basis right away is not at all advisable. Use Mr/Miss till the other person says it's ok to use first name." On the other side of the debate, several users argued that using first names doesn’t necessarily equate to a lack of respect. They pointed out that in many global workplaces, addressing someone casually is standard and encouraged as a sign of equality. 

@Aajkakabir responded, “Sir, sometimes paying respect goes beyond just using titles like 'sir' or other respectful terms. In my experience, someone can still disrespect you regardless of how polite their language may seem." Some people took a humorous approach to the situation. @AmanHasNoName_2 joked, “Lmao, the word 'sir' itself is western culture. We use bhaiya for seniors. What kinda Indian claims 'sir' to be their culture?’” Meanwhile, @Malavtweets said, “As a rule, I don't call anyone sir unless they have a certificate of knighthood or drive an autorickshaw."