Grown man descends into mid-air chaos as he fights a toddler for control of the window shade

A viral in-flight video showing a grown passenger physically holding down his window shade while a toddler tries desperately to lift it has launched a massive online debate about plane etiquette and the fundamental rules of parenting in public spaces. The footage, which has racked up over 514,000 views after being shared by the @InternetH0F account on X, details the kind of mid-air chaos that makes you dread sitting near the family row.

It looks like this is all over the struggle for light. The passenger, who has the window seat, is trying to keep the shade down, while a tiny hand reaches down the side of the adjacent seat, trying to grab the tab and pull the window open. The child grunts in frustration and tries to pull the man’s hand away from the shade, as found by Daily Dot.

Unfortunately, the child’s disruptive actions didn’t stop at the window. The toddler also reached behind the man’s seat, trying to unplug his headphones, and blocked his television screen while he was trying to watch a movie. I’m sorry, but that’s absolutely unacceptable behavior. The parents’ lack of care here shows how little parenting goes on at home.

It’s hard to take sides here

The child’s guardian, who presumably sat right there, did not try to correct or stop the disruptive behavior at all. For a large segment of the viewing audience, the responsibility lies entirely with the parent. Several people suggested that if the parent can’t control their child, they shouldn’t travel.

One outraged commenter suggested calling in the authorities, stating, “I’m calling the flight attendant, make them reprimand the parent and child.” Others insisted that this lack of control is a failure of basic manners.

However, the internet is never just one opinion, and a significant portion of the audience felt sympathy for the toddler. If you’ve got the window seat, looking out is definitely one of the most immersive and fun parts of flying! These viewers argued that the adult should have simply let the kid experience the view. They criticized the man’s decision to keep the shade closed, calling those who want darkness “the worst type of people” who are “very inconsiderate.”

One commenter exclaimed, “Bro, just let the kid enjoy the view!” Another person, who admitted they usually side with the adult in these types of confrontations, felt the window view was too important to deny. Watching this video a few times, I can see that this is a shared window, not a single one.

The guy is literally making the choice for both of them on a shared window, and if he wanted to fully control his own window, he should have paid for a better seat. At this point, he should have let the kid enjoy the view.