When Katie was in high school, she wanted what we all wanted at that age—to seem older. And she got her chance on her favorite hockey forum. All it took was a little lying. She wound up developing an intense online relationship with a much older hockey fan—until one day, her castle of lies came crashing down.

Host: Brian Phillips

Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Kaya McMullen

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville

For a more first-person perspective on Katie’s tale of teenage deception, you can read her Deadspin blog about it: “The Confessions Of A Former Adolescent Puck Tease.” (You should—it’s really good.) If you want to know more about what being online was like in the ’90s, you can watch this endless Apple promo video from 1995. (You shouldn’t—it’s utterly terrifying.)

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