Appen is het nieuwe roken is a popular science edition of what the author presents as the mental health risc posed by spending too much time using mobile telephones. While the title is funny, there is actually a chapter that compares the risc of overusage of the cellphone and smoking. Although the book was written and published in 2017 is is still fairly accurate and concurrent, although some apps have changed.

The author is an academic, but the style of the book is, while factual, not as dry as an academic monograph. The book is packed with data and many interesting facts. Still, since much of the information is self-evident, or likely known to readers through the media or, actually, social media on their phones, the book seems too long. Several chapters seem drawn out, and some of the information is repeated. The worst is that the final chapter is extremely long, namely 40 pages on a total of 150. Where one would expect a powerful, short summative final chapter, the last chapter is a real drag. ( )