A viral video of a passenger clashing with a young child over an airplane window shade has triggered [1] a widespread debate on social media about proper airline etiquette and parental responsibility during flights.
The footage, shared on X, showed a man attempting to watch the movie Hocus Pocus 2 during an unspecified flight when a child seated behind him repeatedly reached forward to lift his window shade.
The video caption read, “He had to fight a 4-year-old to keep his window down during the flight.”
The short clip captured a tense exchange between the two.
Each time the man pulled the window shade down, the child reached forward to lift it again.
After several back-and-forth attempts, the passenger eventually held the cover down with his hand, preventing the child from raising it further.
The video ended with the child leaning over the seat and placing their hands over the passenger’s screen, appearing to block his view of the movie.
He had to fight a 4 year old to kepe his window down during the flight pic.twitter.com/AJNHjpLAgf [2]
— internet hall of fame (@InternetH0F) November 7, 2025 [3]
The incident quickly spread across social media, prompting a flurry of comments divided over who was at fault.
Some viewers criticized the parents for failing to control their child.
One commenter wrote, “I’m calling the flight attendant, make them reprimand the parent and child.”
Another added, “Someone needs to control their child.”
A third user questioned why the child was interfering with another passenger’s window, noting there was “a window in front of that spoiled brat.”
Others sympathized with the child, arguing that passengers in window seats should be more considerate.
“You have eyelids, let the child enjoy the whimsy of being in a plane watching the land below him,” one user wrote.
Another remarked, “People who shut the windows while having a window seat should be on a no-fly list.”
Several commenters framed the issue as one of courtesy rather than rules.
“People who want to close the window are the worst type of people,” one wrote.
“Just because you don’t enjoy beautiful things doesn’t mean you have to make everyone else suffer. Sad all around for both sides.”
Aviation experts also weighed in on the debate. Gary Leff, a travel writer for A View From The Wing, sided with the passenger, explaining that airline etiquette generally grants control of the window shade to the person sitting in the window seat.
“The window seat passenger owns the window, and passengers in their own row own that row’s window shade,” Leff said.
Leff added that if he had been in the passenger’s position, he would have handled the issue by calmly involving the parent and cabin crew.
“If I’m the passenger (and good heavens if I’m flying Emirates coach), I’d ask the parent, ‘Could you help keep hands/feet on your side of the row? I’m keeping the shade down to see the screen,’” he wrote.
“Then I’d call a flight attendant for help.”
Still, Leff criticized the passenger’s decision to physically “wrestle a kid through a wall,” suggesting that the situation should have been managed through communication rather than confrontation.
Leff also clarified exceptions to the window shade rule. Cabin crew can request passengers to keep shades open during takeoff and landing to help eyes adjust in case of an emergency.
During long flights, flight attendants may ask passengers to lower shades to allow others to rest.
Despite those guidelines, Leff said courtesy should remain the priority.
“If someone asks you to put the window shade down (or up), consider accommodating them, especially if they have a strong preference and you do not,” he advised.
“Don’t just arbitrarily do the thing they object to, or object to moving the position of the shade for its own sake.”
The viral video has continued to draw attention across social media, sparking further discussions about shared spaces, parenting responsibility, and respect between passengers on crowded flights.