If all your life is based on working and making money, when do you have the time to use this money in any meaningful way? What do you consider a meaningful way? What will all that money mean in the long run?
If
ALL my life is spent making money. I'd still have free time, and I plan to use the money.
Would you rather spend the week and weekend hanging out at a bar every night, or spend every weekend at a whorehouse so fancy it's in the listings under "resorts"? You have less time in the latter, and it's more expensive.
My counterpoint: With more money you can afford mindless self indulgence that is more satisfying, even with a fraction of the time. Richer people can afford to do more awesome things.
If all you do is worry about how much you can cram into your lifespan or what you can accomplish, then your not going to be very happy.
This is valid. I do worry that I'm not optimally rich enough and am inherently unhappy by wanting unobtainable material goods. At the same time though, I'm unhappy with myself for not obtaining the immaterial abstract accomplishments with my time either. Hence, the only logical conclusion to be satisfied with my life would be to accept what I have and can reasonably work to achieve with my future. I do know this.
However this assumes life satisfaction and happiness, abstract human concepts, have value.
OK, happiness and life satisfaction and stress-free happy happy protected childhood aside:
Modern childhood is not an efficient use of time for the advancement and benefit of society and the future. That you can't disagree with if you believe that goal to have value. However, I think pretty much everyone here has shown that they find the individual's needs and rights a higher priority.
Wasted time exists, but it is only time that you label wasted.
Get rid of that label.
Transcend regret
Confucius also said "Surprisingly razor precise response can't be intentionally repeated. Stop trying." Also Glyph beat you to it.