Have you seen some of the TV shows that people watch for entertainment?
If I was a bored highly advanced civilization, what better entertainment would it be than watching a bunch of dumbass humans doing goofy shit?
It would be like us watching cat videos.
I've considered that scenerio. But after while I'd think they would get just get bored and shoot us with their planet destroying ray gun.
Like others have said, I think the probability is they are waiting for us to cross some predetermined threshold before they think we have progressed far enough to even think of engaging with us.
They probably think we are some crazy warlike culture that loves to kill each other because some stupid ass rulers can't get along.
