Why do people often prefer wearing contacts over glasses?

Several years ago, it was much more common to wear glasses than contacts. Now, the scales have tipped to prefer contacts over glasses. Why have so many people switched over to wearing these small internally-worn lenses?
When my dad was younger, he did happen to wear contacts for a while. However, there were only hard glass lenses to choose from. Eventually, he decided that contacts weren't for him and he got glasses. This was a result of the contacts always bothering his eyes. They were very uncomfortable and he could always feel them. Nowadays, the contact industry has changed dramatically. My uncle, Mark, wears contacts for several months without ever removing them. He sleeps in them, swims in them and they don't ever bother him. There is an extrememly large variety of brands and types of contacts that can be purchased. There are special ones for several eye conditions such as a stigmitism and dry eyes. You can get extra flexible, extra soft and extra comfortable contact lenses to be worn for certain extended periods of time.
Not only have they become more comfortable, but contacts of the twenty-first century are also more affordable than they used to be. They are also a lot cheaper, at least on short-term, than glasses. While the price of a pair of glasses has also gone down considerably, contacts can be purchased in bulk (packs of about 6-12) for very reasonable prices. If you're looking for the product that will put a smaller dent in your wallet up front, contacts are the way to go.
I personally wear glasses, and often feel that they stand out on my face. They distract from my face and expressions. Somtimes this lowers my self-esteem. I am quite often prevented from wearing my glasses in public due to these feelings of lowered self-esteem. When you wear contacts, no one else knows that you're wearing them unless you tell them. You look the same as if you weren't wearing them at all. However, things don't look the same to you. You can see much better than if you aren't wearing them, but your appearance isn't changed at all (unless you wear colored contact-lenses). People may choose to wear contacts so that they don't disrupt their appearance with glasses.
The final reason that people choose to wear contacts is convenience. You don't have to worry about bringing, loosing or breaking your glasses. You have everything you need in order to see without the inconvenience or worry of wearing glasses.
While I don't mind my glasses, there are sometimes that contacts would be nice. I can easily see why so many Americans are switching to the internally-worn vision-enhancers, rather than the external. Still, I am greatful for the opportunity I have to be able to see clearly at all.