Eye correction is seriously short sighted - 20 November 2002 - New Scientist

"There is still much debate about the causes of myopia, but it is certainly common in children who spend a lot of time reading or doing close work. It has reached epidemic proportions in Far Eastern countries such as Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, where 90 per cent of young people are short-sighted, compared with 15 to 30 per cent in Europe and the US."