Hurt says the reason many people start, and continue, is peer influence.

CNN: If smoking is so bad for you, who still does it?

Adolescence can be a volatile stage in which teens are sexually curious, prone to risk-taking and susceptible to peer influence, which can lead to impulsive and inappropriate behavior, she said.

CNN: Report: Registry does more harm than good for teen sex offenders

Peer influence, whether you're a teenage girl trying to figure out what to wear to junior high on Monday morning or a midlevel manager at Morgan Stanley, is a powerful indicator of what you think is possible for yourself.

CNN: How to have more Sheryl Sandbergs

The main reasons teenagers start smoking is because of peer pressure and parental influence, not packaging.

BBC: '570 children a day' start smoking

The Web app does this by analyzing Twitter activity, measuring influence based on peer engagement around topics, and showcasing a ranking of people, topics and content in a simple dashboard.

FORBES: Hey Big Fish - South By Southwest - What To Do If You Are Not Going

"Sport has such a strong power to influence society and bring about change, " the crossbench peer said.

BBC: Olympic Games debate