Wow, I disagree with almost everything in the article. I finished up my Ph.D. Math at age 20 in slightly more than 3 years. It was a challenge and it did take focus to finish it, but by no means was it soul-destroying. And with the fellowship (on top of the tuition coverage) I received, I felt rich... Yes, you can end up with (choose) an advisor that is not a good match for you (or for getting finished in a reasonable time), but still... It's so much easier than doing a startup, for instance...