Take this for example. At the end of a long day, all you’re looking forward to doing is sitting on your couch and watching Dancing With The Stars to see if Harry Jowsey and Rylee Arnold will make it official. But why do we sometimes enjoy obsessing over other people’s lives more than our own? Whether it’s watching people putting their lives at risk on Survivor or finding the love of their lives without seeing them face-to-face on Love is Blind, we seem to enjoy a sense of escape from reality by investing our time in others’ lives.

The guilty pleasure comes from immersing oneself in the portrayal of individuals leading lives that others might envy. Take, for instance, shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians, where viewers are drawn to the Kardashian lifestyle, aspiring to emulate their lifestyle, speech, style, and habits. Dr. Wendy Patrick once said in an article with Distractify, “Reality television provides an easy, and legal, way to peer into the lives of others.” Thus, rather than experiencing life on one’s one terms, some may prefer the vicarious experience of witnessing these through on-screen dramas. In essence, reality television is indeed a sense of escape from reality as it is a way to flee from our real lives to instead indulge in others.