It’s fine to go down the academic route, but it’s unfair for all young people to be forced to go down that route. We should get to decide if we want to do academic learning at an early age. Alternatively you should just be able to do stuff, make things happen and be an entrepreneur. Or be a creative type: like a musician, artist or dancer. A dancer who dances for 10 years,  and is still incredibly passionate but switches to academic research because of nagging injuries will be most likely be better than you’re average researcher because passion transfers.