. >> reporter: amanda hess is a critic at large for new york times. says focusing on the scenery can be a welcome distraction. >> there's something soothing about meditating on the pattern of reese witherspoon's chair. >> yes. even though it couldn't be less important, but that's part of what makes it so nice. >> reporter: of course, public figures are used to being public. but what about everybody else? >> what we're divulging by letting people see us in our home environments, i wonder if we're going to regret this. >> it's certainly possible, but i found that, you know, when i get on a zoom chat with my colleagues, i'm looking at their surroundings and i'm certainly interested, but i don't think i'm judgmental because for the most part, somebody else is looking at your apartment, too. so it's this mutual experience. >> reporter: mutual, but not always equal. students suddenly having to take classes online and seeing each other's home environments are learning about their own class differences. >> it has revealed these divides and also probably conne