The traditional media [in China] is still heavily controlled by the government; social media offers an opening to let the steam out a little bit. But because you don’t have many other openings, the heat coming out of this opening is sometimes very strong, active and even violent.

Source: "The Generation That's Remaking China." TEDGlobal 2011. Jul. 2011. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: According to this quote by journalist and entrepreneur Yang Lan, social media allows young people in China an outlet of expression and activism, in the midst of an oppressive government that uses censorship to control other forms of media. Because social media is one of the only outlets for Chinese youth to release tension, says Lan, it is a very active and the expressions that come out of it can be explosive. An example of a popular form of social media in China is Micro Blog -- the Chinese version of Twitter. The quote is from Lan's 2011 TED Talk about Chinese youth. Watch the full TED Talk here: Yang Lan - The Generation That's Remaking China

“The Generation That’s Remaking China.” TEDGlobal 2011. Jul. 2011. Conference Presentation.