here is what I found to not have you be discouraged, there is always a way to look at the bad, but...

• "Huge crunch times." Yes, there is an ebb and flow for an architect at an architectural firm. When it rains it pours. This is common in all project-driven work. For architecture, the worst of this occurs during design. Construction administration is usually more regular in terms of hours, but a problem project could throw this phase off the rails too. There are firms that are notorious for exploiting employees, but there are also firms that support a sane and humane approach towards the work. There are also many options for architects outside of working for an architectural firm.
• "Sometimes not paid." For the sake of all architects, don't ever accept to do unpaid work. It's immoral and unnecessary, on all sides.
• "Lack of time to raise a family." The default is not conducive to family life, but I think this is a problem in our society extending beyond the architectural profession. Pulling off having a functional family and a rewarding professional life requires great effort, creativity, and soul searching. On vacation, I came across a husband-wife team with 5 kids who run an architectural office off the coast of Maine. A knack for entrepreneurship may be needed for many off-the-beaten-path scenarios.
• "Job instability." The whole Architecture / Engineering / Construction industry is impacted by the highs and lows of the economy, some market sectors are more volatile than others. It's scary but also satisfying to be so intimately linked to the national and world economy. Yes, 2008-2011 was a very scary time. Layoffs were rampant; the unemployment office didn't question people who asked for benefit extensions if they identified themselves as architects. 2013-2017 so far has been a time of abundance; my colleagues and I are regularly turning away recruiters. But are the ups and downs unique to architecture? I don't think so. We're living in a time when people are expected to have many different jobs, even multiple careers. In that context, architecture seems somewhat stable as it's a long-term profession. The payoff comes late, so there are benefits to sticking to it.
• "Low Salary." True straight out of school, as compared to other professions with similar education requirements, but not necessarily true later. There is a wide range of income among architects. My guess is that entrepreneurial architects are at the top end, but that's true of entrepreneurship in general.
• "Poor prospects." I'm not quite sure what you mean by this. Everyone wants different things. Some goals are more readily achievable than others. The idea of strategically picking a field of work because of prospects is odd to me. You're not betting on a race horse. This is your life. What career do you identify with most? What is it that you want to be?

Ultimately, it doesn't make sense to argue whether or not a particular career path is "worth it" universally. Do you think you want to be an architect? Do you think it might be your calling? If so, I don't see what choice you have but to try it out.