Embedded web server NanoHTTPD Response serve method not being called

I have this web server class:

private class WebServer extends NanoHTTPD {

    public WebServer()
    {
        super(PORT);
        Log.i("myTag", "THIS IS RUNNING2");
    }

    @Override
    public Response serve(String uri, Method method, Map<String, String> header, Map<String, String> parameters, Map<String, String> files) {

        Log.i("myTag", "THIS IS RUNNING3");

        String answer = "";
        try {
            // Open file from SD Card
            File root = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory();
            FileReader index = new FileReader(root.getAbsolutePath() + "/www/index.html");
            BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(index);

            String line = "";
            while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
                answer += line;
            }
            reader.close();
        } catch(IOException ioe) {
            Log.w("httpd", answer);
        }

        return new NanoHTTPD.Response(answer);
    }
}

which I found online (http://devnote1.blogspot.com/2016/05/android-studio-nanohttpd.html). I followed the tutorial to a T.

I set 3 logs that should be visible in logcat under the tag, "myTag" and I notice the third log in the serve() method does not get outputted. In my android studio, the serve method has a line running through it and the tooltip says: "Overrides deprecated method in 'import fi.iki.elonen.NanoHTTPD'. Can anyone help me to get around this?

I am using this dependency:

compile 'com.nanohttpd:nanohttpd-webserver:2.1.1'

When I go into the browser and enter localhost:8080, it does not give me a 'site cannot be reached' error so I believe some web server stuff is working. Any help is appreciated. Thank you