We’re all guilty. If not a complete addict, every single one of us has at least been sucked in temporarily as we mindlessly surfed the airwaves and came across well-worn phrases such as, “You have only one rose left tonight,” or “You’re fired!”, and we’ve paused with a bit of morbid curiosity. But the real quandary involves much more than just who watches these reality shows and why — it’s who participates in these shows, and what the hell were they thinking when they signed up for them?

Something about these shows, these not-so-realistic reality TV programs, seems to appeal to the voyeuristic side in all of us. It’s like watching a train wreck … literally; you know you shouldn’t be doing it, but you just can’t bring yourself to avert your eyes.

I remember planning my flight back home to Arizona last Thanksgiving around the time the wedding aired for the “Bachelorette’s” favorite couple, Trista and Ryan. I laid on the couch the first hour I got home after watching an entire season of men falling in love with a woman who takes them on trips to Tahiti and arranges intimate serenades with pop icons, while my dad did nothing but make fun of me from the next room. The moment he walked into the living room to see what all the fuss was about, he became ensnarled in this web of television hucksterism, making sporadic comments like, “Who watches this crap,” and “Who participates in shows like this,” as though his purpose in staying was just to make sure the rest of us didn’t succumb to this mindless dribble.

Television is quickly moving away from creative written script. The days when sitcoms like “Friends,” “Fraiser” and “Seinfield” once ruled, are fast becoming a thing of the past. Since “Survivor” first aired in 2000, making TV history, television producers have jumped on the reality bandwagon in hopes of reaping similar success, yet each new “reality wannabe” seems to fall a notch or two below the last.

The mesmerizing draw of these so-called unscripted reality TV shows seems to capture the attention of audiences, much like we were drawn to the monotonous chase of O.J. Simpson’s white Ford Bronco as it plodded through L.A. traffic, as we waited for an unexpected turn.

Although these shows receive much flack from various television networks and audiences worldwide, the popularity and expansion of reality TV continues to grow. Reality TV seems to appeal to our most prurient interests and stimulates our most basic human tendencies. It’s simple: producers will keep producing, if viewers keep viewing and advertisers keep buying.

As the reality overload kicks in again this season with the premiers of new TV shows, I can’t help but wonder where this tubular trend is taking us as a society. It is interesting to ponder what these shows are doing to us as viewers, but perhaps even more interesting to consider is what they are doing to the participants.

Although each show promises a different gimmick, a common thread seems to permeate all of them. The lengths to which some people will go in order to win is extreme, regardless of the prize.

We all remember the hit TV program, “My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé,” the show about Randi, the young woman who lied to convince her family of the legitimacy of her engagement to her “not-so-prince-charming,” in order to win $1 million. What the FOX network considered “the ultimate practical joke,” others found the ultimate betrayal of trust. Although Randi was able to explain to her family the engagement was just some “joke” after just a few weeks, it’s hard to imagine any family not wondering how their own blood could put them through such torture and pain for some quick cash.

The new spin-off similar to “My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé” entitled, “The $25 Million Dollar Hoax,” should be called “How To Make Your Family Disown You in One Month.” The show’s premise features a daughter who claims to have won $5 million dollars in Internet lottery money, with the potential to win another $25 million as the show progresses.

A daughter, and sibling to four brothers, must take her far-from-wealthy family on her journey from rags to riches while spending every penny of her winnings on herself. Within hours of her fraudulent windfall, the daughter begins to question her reasoning in signing on for such a painful journey.

What about “The Bachelor?” This season I have watched at least five women “fall in love” with the same man in a four week span. What’s so funny about the whole reality based show is that the Bachelor is passionately kissing (and passionately doing who knows what else) to every girl in the running for his heart.

Realistically, instead of saying “I do” when accepting some long-stemmed rose and a ring for her finger, any self-respecting woman would be giving the overly confident, self-absorbed player the finger.

Whether it’s the 15 minutes of fame, or just the thought of winning “the prize” that gets these girls to fight like cats and forgo their morals and self respect, the question must be asked — is the juice really worth the squeeze? After all, how many of these made-for-prime-time relationships have lasted beyond the next commercial?

Our desire to watch others in their struggles seems to fill some void that everyday sitcoms or popular dramatic series simply can’t fill.

What does this “reality television” trend say about us as a society? We prefer to watch non-actors — people like you and me, plucked from our everyday lives — scratching and clawing their way to potential, yet fleeting, stardom. We revel in these sorry souls’ failures as much as we applaud the victor’s spoils. Yet it is mindless entertainment, for which there is truly no redeeming social value or benefit.

I am partly to blame for the reality overload, yet I am also the one who can’t handle another “Bachelor wannabe” or “Apprentice aspirant.” Hypocritical, I know.

Now that my dance practice has been cancelled for “The Bachelor” finale, my sorority meetings have ended early for the next big “Real World” episode and my studies were once postponed to see “The Swan” premiere, I can’t help but wonder where our priorities in life are going.

Television today has strayed far from the once pure and authentic programs of the past, and for everyone involved, viewers and participants alike, what we are giving up is often not worth what we are getting in return.

If you ask me, I think I’ll take “Saved By the Bell,” and my juice straight up any day.