‘Language Is Idiotic’: Teacher's Furious Response to Student's Attendance Message Goes Viral

In India, teachers are treated with great respect. A recent post on X, showcasing a WhatsApp exchange between a student and their teacher, has sparked a debate online.

A user named Vikrant shared a post on X, featuring a screenshot of a message he sent to his professor and her reply.
In his message, he addressed the professor as ‘Dr’, then he introduced himself. He further asked about an attendance query he had. The entire message was very polite and in no way did it seem disrespectful. 

On the other hand, the professor responded by asking, “Is this how you talk to teachers?”

The guy was left surprised and confused about what he did wrong.

The post has gone viral and several people shared similar experiences they’ve had with their professors on social media. 

See How Netizens React: 

“Obviously, you should say respected dear esteemed prof Dr xyz ofc,” joked an X user.

A second user added, “The tone of the message might be misinterpreted. In a Foreign context, yes it’s formal and polite. In India, Big no. I got a huge scolding when I sent msgs just like u in my clg days. Always use apologetic tone “Could you” “Please” “Requesting” etc?” 

Yet another commented, “Dear Sir/Ma’am.. Could you please… Kindly request you to let us know..etc. Such language is required even while working. Learn to use it always, unless you actually are sure that a lesser formal approach is okay.”