Hot take - it’s okay to put backpacks in the overhead

I typically check my suitcase and just bring a small backpack on the plane with me. I was on a flight recently that was on a smaller plane, so overhead bin space was very tight. I had group 1 boarding so I put my backpack (my only carryon item) in the bin above my seat. I am a tall guy so I travel like this specifically so I don’t have anything under the seat in front of me.

Towards the end of boarding, they had run out of overhead bin space. Rather than make the people who brought their large roller bags gate check them, the flight attendants made me and a few other single bag travelers take our backpacks out of the overhead bin and put them under the seats in front of us.

I personally think this isn’t fair, why should I be punished for bringing less luggage on the plane than someone else? I told this to a few friends and they felt the opposite, and that people who bring big roller bags are entitled to the bin space (even when the airline offers to check their bags for free). What is the general consensus here? If you travel with just a backpack are you not entitled to use any overhead bin space?