One could say that it was inevitable, since effectively pooling millions of people in the same place and giving them the freedom to express their thoughts and feelings, no matter how contrary they may be, was always going to generate hot debate.

Opinion-dividing pictures and videos are now considered the norm online, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth visiting each time they crop up. We here at Newsner have covered all manner of such subjects in the past, so when we came across a picture taken of a father and his sleeping daughter on a plane journey – one, we might add, that has generated all manner of comments – we simply had to relay it…

The debate in question started when Reddit user u/therra123 took to the thread r/MadeMeSmile to post a sweet moment captured between a dad and his daughter.

The user had uploaded an image of a girl curled up on her aisle seat on a flight. Instead of her head resting on the armrest – a rather crude and unforgiving pillow, I’m sure all who have experience with them will agree – her father had placed his hand under her cheek instead.

The accompanying caption on Reddit reads: “This man kept his hand in this position for 45 minutes so his daughter could sleep well.”

Now, at this point we have to express our opinion that this doesn’t seem anything other than a dad performing his duties. The post was rightly tagged “wholesome moments”, but some Redditors didn’t feel the same way.

Incredibly, the father was criticized for his actions, with some people writing simply to say that he could have done it better.

The post, which quickly went viral, garnering some 60,000 upvotes and thousands of comments, included replies such as:

“I feel like… I feel like there’s a better way.”

Another added: “Do you not have your towel? A towel is the most important thing you can carry.”

A third commented: “Shows a distinct lack of creative problem solving. 45 min you say and couldn’t think of a practical solution. Huh!”

While a fourth wrote: “Seriously. Roll up a hoodie jacket and bam! Insta-pillow. Or here’s a crazy thought: ask a flights attendant for a blanket and pillow.”

Others, meanwhile, were more sympathetic towards the dad and his gesture. Coincidentally, that’s the camp we find ourselves in too!

But how about you? Did you see anything wrong with the dad serving as a makeshift pillow for his daughter on this flight? Let us know in the comments.