We are all snoops. Nosy, prying, gossip-injecting snoops. Well, aren’t we?

Have you ever found yourself listening in on a stranger’s cell phone conversation? Have you ever slowed down in traffic to stare at a grisly car accident on the side of the road? I know I have.

Judging by the number of reality TV shows that have sprung up in the last 10 years, people-watching is popular. Reality shows provide the general public with front row seats to other people’s personal lives.

Take for example, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” There is no plot. There isn’t supposed to be a script. This show is the result of cameramen following around a particular family and documenting their day-to-day experiences. This show is about nothing. Not in the Seinfeld, situational comedy way, but literally, nothing.

Nevertheless, I find myself drawn to this show, without understanding its allure.

Why are we compelled to watch programs that are, quite frankly, intellectually void? We come back time and time again, and only validate their place in prime time. According to The New York Times, “since the debut of ‘Survivor’ on CBS in 2000, reality programming has grown to account for more than one-quarter of prime time on the five broadcast networks.”

One possible explanation for the reality television craze is that these shows are an escape from — simply put — reality. I’m sure many people wonder what it is like to be a Kardashian. That is, to be young, famous, desirable and affluent; to be dating a professional athlete and to be part of the socialite community in L.A.

We aren’t satisfied with merely talking about other people’s business or reading about them in magazines. Reality TV shows like “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” enable viewers to essentially stalk celebrities and live vicariously through them. These shows allow the average person to steal a glimpse of a lifestyle that most of us will never experience firsthand.

Perhaps, after an especially tiresome day, it is nice to escape our reality and consider life from someone else’s perspective.

As a society, we love to trash talk.

When it comes to celebrities, the public cannot get enough dirt. We want to know every detail of their personal lives. A reality show appears to be the perfect outlet for such voyeurism. We are so concerned with celebrity gossip that we waste our lives watching them live theirs. Should it really matter that so-and-so has cellulite or if what’s-her-name is sporting an apparent baby bump?

Interestingly enough, what we see on TV isn’t even reality. Once the camera is turned on, behavior is altered accordingly, so the whole concept of “acting natural” is contradictory. For example, when Kim Kardashian is lounging around the house, spending time with her family, she is typically expertly done up in full hair and makeup. She probably would not put as much effort into her appearance if there was no audience to impress.

She must be a walking sex symbol at all times in order to maintain her desired image. Therefore, there is a difference between Kim Kardashian “the person” and Kim Kardashian “the character.”

If you ask me, though, reality TV shows are so devoid of depth that they can be considered comic relief, or as a mind-numbing distraction from actual reality.