I have an addiction, and it’s ruining my life. I love Survivor. I pathetically spent my Wednesday nights this past summer glued to the television wondering if the tribe members would ever wise up and vote Rich off the island. I was bitterly disappointed when he took home the million in the final episode, and my mouth dropped open in shock when Sue gave her “rat and snake” final comment, but the point was and is that I was watching.

I was angry that the post-game show of the Super Bowl kept dragging on. The Super Bowl was just a way to pass the time before the premier of Survivor 2: The Australian Outback. I have an addiction, and it’s ruining my life.

At first, I was drawn to the challenge of survival itself. I wondered if I could last on a deserted island. I love the outdoors, and the idea of not having to take a shower is, at times, appealing. But before I knew it, I got caught up in the drama of the characters, just as producer Mark Burnett had masterfully planned. I wasn’t concerned with who would actually end up with the money, but what devious things the players would do to each other that night.

And it has started again. Not just Survivor, but the swarm of reality TV. The newest lineup features three of the major networks, and the quality of the shows range from bad to worse.

Take Fox’s Temptation Island for example. Here’s the concept, for those of you who haven’t had time to tune in or are boycotting the show: Four unmarried couples have traveled to a remote Caribbean island with the sole purpose of testing their devotion to each other. The four couples are separated, men on one side of the island and women on the other. However, waiting on their respective sides of the island are thirteen single men or women just waiting to be tempters or temptresses. The prize is deciding whether or not to stay in your long-term relationship.

It’s hard to understand why anyone would care to put their relationship through such a trial. Relationships are hard enough as it is, as any single or coupled individual will tell you. But then, one has to ask why a network would even think of running a show with these kind of intentions. It just seems wrong, but wrong apparently still earns ratings and addicts.

Then there’s ABC’s The Mole. This one is more like one of the originals, MTV’s Road Rules. Ten players take part in mental and physical tests for three weeks, trying to collect up to one million dollars in prize money.

Oh, but there’s a catch. One among the 10 is The Mole. This player’s job is to try to sabotage the efforts of the group. Meanwhile, the other players are trying to discover the identity of The Mole in order to win the game and the cash. The Mole seems a little tamer on the surface, but again, producers have scripted humans against each other for the sake of entertainment.

And finally, the mother of all reality shows, Survivor 2. The game is still the same, and the cheesy tribal rituals are still forced down our throats. I told myself I’d only watch the first show. I had no intentions of letting TV control my life again. But all it took was that first show, and I was hooked once more. I’ve got my favorites, and the one’s I’d vote off in an instant if I had the chance.

But the sad thing is, I have to make excuses to legitimize my addiction. The first week, I wanted to see for myself if the original could have a successful sequel. The second week, I was doing research for an article. But this third week, I’m hard up for an excuse.

It seems an excuse is hard to find because at the heart of all the reality TV shows is the audience’s desire to watch. They wouldn’t exist if no one tuned in, and Survivor definitely wouldn’t have a sequel. Producers have found a way to tempt the immoral desires of humans. We know we should be disgusted by a show that tries to break up couples, yet our curiosity gets the best of us. It is as if we have a deranged hunger to throw ourselves into the taboos of our society.

From behind our TV screens we can rebel and not have to face the consequences that society would normally throw back at us. We can cheer on the bad guy, feel sorry for the cheater or encourage deceitful behavior-all from the comfort of our couch.

What we really need to do is turn off the TV, go pitch a tent in the middle of nowhere, and have an adventure of our own-an adventure that will turn into a story; stories that will string together into a life.

But then again, I have an addiction, and it’s ruining my life.