For this installment of our weekly book reviews from Booklist, the American Library Association’s nationally distributed book and media review publication, we have Philip Zozzaro’s review of Kaitlyn Regehr’s “Smartphone Nation: Building Digital Boundaries When Offline Isn’t an Option,” first published November 4, 2025, on Booklist Online.
Enjoy.
“Smartphone Nation: Building Digital Boundaries When Offline Isn’t an Option”
By Kaitlyn Regehr
Oct. 2025. 240p. Dial. (9798217154593); e-book (9798217154616).
The invention of the smartphone brought undeniable convenience to many, but the resulting need to be constantly online and available, checking emails or doomscrolling social media, has left many caught in the grasp of digital addiction. In many cases, parents are setting a bad precedent for children impatient to have their own smartphones. The decision to give an adolescent a smartphone can lead to a brand new set of problems, as young people are exposed to pornographic, violent, and otherwise inappropriate material and are often targets of online predators. While social media can fuel endorphins, bullying words exchanged via post or comment can lead to self-harm. Indeed, the impact of the World Wide Web in the palm of your hand is yet to be fully comprehended. Regehr, a professor of digital humanities, shares a thoughtful and well-researched look at the ramifications of the global proliferation of the smartphone. Her book doubles as a well-considered guide for parents who may be thinking about giving their child a smartphone, encouraging them to re-evaluate their own phone usage and serve as an example to their kids.— Philip Zozzaro
If what you’re reading has piqued your interest, look for “Smartphone Nation: Building Digital Boundaries When Offline Isn’t an Option” at your local library, bookstore, or wherever you like to check out (or listen to) books.
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