Pros
Good experience, learn to work hard, and Amazon looks good on your resume. It will definitely build your character. Managing a team, if you're a people person, is hard but rewarding.
Cons
Amazon works you hard and for extremely long hours, yes, but that's not all. Honestly, I value my experience with them and feel like a much stronger and smarter person because of my time at Amazon. But you really do become a small fish in a big ocean. My biggest two issues have been the 85 hr work weeks that they say will become less but never do and a manager that only develops certain people on the team and gets ANGRY when things don't go right. Also, the fact that management changes its leaders every month (you can't build a relationship with a manager and gain their support if they're always changing roles or moving to other facilities). If you don't mind 85 hour work weeks or being around really competitive people that are ruthless, then go right ahead. If you're a college student trying to decide to be an Area Manager, strongly consider if you want to spend your young years working for a company that will just take take take, or if you want to work for a company that's not only customer obsessed but also employee obsessed. I promise, the benefits and morale of a company will become much more important to you than you would think as a young professional right out of college. Just really consider your decision and make sure being an Area Manager is what you want to do. There's a lot of potential for growth in the company, you just have to be ruthless and really intelligent to get there. If that's you, then go for it. I just know there are other companies out there that work you hard but understand that you have a life outside of work.