In my albeit limited experience, I’ve found that a lot of people equate physical comfort with happiness. The concept of a “fulfilling life” seems to be a strange, alien thing. Today, only the (ayin)ashir can supposedly be the (alef)ashir.
(I’ve had many a conversation (read: argument) with an important figure in my life, who believes that its imperative that I own more than three or four pairs of pants and shirts and two suits. This person gets angry that I refuse to buy more clothing on the grounds that I simply have enough to meet my needs.)
B”H I find that in E”Y in my general community, I think that in most homes, this is no the case. The high school kids actually do put in a good 10-12 hours daily on Sundays too no less and because everyone else does it, no one seems to feel they’re missing out on anything.
No one looks down on the youngerman who tries to sell cakes to make a couple extra shekel. In fact, one of the happiest people I ever met actually did this when I was in yeshivah in order to put together enough money for Shabbos.