Why I've stopped saying 'hey guys' (as a male in tech)

Fine - but what do I say instead then?

Hey everyone, OP here. I know this can be a somewhat controversial topic, so I'm keen to hear your perspectives on inclusive language and inclusion in general. Thanks for stumbling upon my post :)

/u/tomquirk - thanks so kindly for posting this. As a trans woman in IT I couldn’t appreciate this post more at this time, nor do I think it’s ever been more relevant.

Might I suggest you consider adding - and I put here for HN’s convenience as well — a list of potential great alternatives? :)

‘Hey folks’

‘Hey everyone’

‘Hey y’all’

‘Hey team:’

Even just ‘Hey -‘

I also like ‘Good morning’, ‘Good afternoon’, ‘Good evening’, they’re great ways to inclusively greet people and start a conversation as well.

Thanks again for posting this! :)

Your behavior change is fine, and you're free to modify your own behavior if you'd like obviously. You never said it, but where many people go wrong is when they say "I'm modifying my behavior to avoid any potential for a perceived slight, and you should too." Such behavior policing is toxic.

I used to have a severe anxiety disorder that partly stemmed from being overly sensitive about what other people thought about me. I had to consciously dampen down that part of myself, and I feel much, much better about it.

I think instead of getting individuals to avoid offending others, we should instead foster a mentality of resiliency. People get offended far too easily nowadays. They should learn how to stop caring so much about what other people think.

Of course there's a line beyond which you're just a jerk, but to me, just saying "hey guys" doesn't cross it. But that's just me, and I'm in a region of the country where "hey guys" is acceptable.

This one was always a tricky one for me, trying to create an email to a bunch of people in a friendly manner without using 'hey guys.' It the phrase that feels the most natural to me when speaking to group of people. I personally have always views 'guys' as inclusive of anyone, but I get others may not.

Professionally I have opted to use 'hey all' in 90% of situations because it's about as neutral as you can get. Doesn't feel as natural to me but then I don't run the risk of offending anyone.