The Canadian Medical Association is urging Canadians to join physicians in support of the Safe Social Media Act.

The association has launched a national public action campaign encouraging Canadians to support the adoption of stronger online safeguards for children.

President and St. John’s-based dermatologist Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi says as physicians, they don’t wait for harm before they act. He says children deserve to be able to use technology safely.

He says the evidence is clear. Dr. Ogenyemi says increased time spent on the “completely unregulated space” that is social media has been linked to inattention, increasing rates of mental health and psychiatric disease, and a huge increase in cases of child sexual exploitation.