Really? Thoughts on "guys"

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-problem-with-hey-guys?utm_source=pocket-newtab

My first response to this article, which quotes the inimitable John McWhorter, is, "really? are people that sensitive?"

On second thought, specificity and effectiveness in language are really the key principles, and "hey guys" is neither specific nor effective in many contexts. As I tell my students, what they say and how they talk with their friends and family is none of my business; my job is to ensure they can communicate effectively in the academic and professional setting. 

Example:"Ma'am" and "sir"in professional communication. Good Southerners have this burned into their brains, but in most cases it is not really effective for the professional environment. It is seen either as 1. condescending,  2. a statement about age,  3. habitual and automatic and therefore thoughtless, and, today 4. assuming gender identity (don't get me started on that subject). 

Most of our language is scripted and habitual, though, but that doesn't mean it should not be interrogated. I have less trouble with "hey guys" for the gender identity issue as for the laziness and informality of it. 

Is the Southern "you all" not better, then? Maybe not; it assumes a group identity that may not exist. 

Sigh.