Something Disturbing Happens When You 'Learn' Something With ChatGPT

Key Consumer Help: ChatGPT is a powerful productivity tool, but a poor substitute for the essential mental labor required for deep learning. Use it to find a quick answer or jump-start a task, but switch to active research, reading, and self-synthesis when the goal is to truly learn, retain, and develop expertise.

https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/learning-with-chatgpt-disturbing

Your Next Career Move: The 10 Fastest-Growing Jobs of the Next Decade—Many Pay Six Figures

Key Consumer Help: The key takeaway for consumers is to look for careers in healthcare and computer/math fields for the best combination of strong growth and high earning potential.

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/fastest-growing.htm

Detailed Occupations List is: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/fastest-growing-occupations.htm

Consumer Perspectives of Privacy and Artificial Intelligence

Key Consumer Help: Helps consumers understand the privacy risks associated with AI adoption, highlighting the need for developers to prioritize transparency and data protection to build trust. It frames privacy as an active consumer concern, not a passive one.

https://iapp.org/resources/article/consumer-perspectives-of-privacy-and-ai/

What consumers do and don't want from AI (World Economic Forum)

Key Consumer Help: Offers a framework for consumers to decide when and where to trust AI. It emphasizes the need for companies to design multi-modal workflows (blending human and AI interaction) and reinforce human accountability, giving consumers criteria for evaluating the AI services they use.

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/01/ai-consumers-could-vs-should/

Making artificial intelligence work better for consumers and societies

Key Consumer Help: Stresses the importance of AI literacy—understanding how AI systems learn, make decisions, and influence choices—as a tool for consumer empowerment. It frames the debate around transparency and accountability, encouraging consumers to demand better global regulatory frameworks.

https://unctad.org/news/making-artificial-intelligence-work-better-consumers-and-societies

Latest Consumer News: Holiday Season 2025 in Orange County, South Coast Plaza & Costa Mesa. As of November 4, 2025, Orange County's holiday buzz is heating up around luxury hubs like South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, blending high-end splurges with frugal pivots amid tariff threats and inflation. Local forecasts signal a Scrooge-tinged squeeze—SoCal shoppers plan 14% less spending than 2024—yet early deal-hunting and festive events could buoy foot traffic at malls and pop-ups. With South Coast Plaza kicking off its wonderland on November 20, expect a mix of designer drops, tree lightings, and value plays. Here's the freshest scoop from OC reports, retailer announcements, and real-time chatter. Spending Forecasts: Cautious Cuts with Early Bursts. OC consumers are echoing national jitters but leaning into pre-tariff buys, with luxury and experiences holding steady. Average SoCal spend dips to $1,627 on gifts (down from $1,893 last year), driven by economic fog. Statewide, a 4.6% uptick is feared as "panic shopping" to dodge hikes on imports like apparel and toys. Key local projections:

Source

Projected Average Spend (OC/SoCal)

YoY Change

Notes

OC Register/SoCal Forecast

$1,627 on gifts

-14%

Sticker shock from tariffs; focus on essentials like groceries up 2/3 of budgets.

KPMG/LATimes (CA-Wide)

$847 on shopping

+4.6%

Early splurges in OC malls to beat inflation; millennials lead with +25% intent.

Circana (U.S. with OC Insights)

Similar to 2024, volatile

Stable

Practicality rules: Digital convenience and low-cost beauty/food items surge in Costa Mesa.

Visa (National, OC-Relevant)

$736 on gifts

+10%

Baby boomers in affluent OC hold firm; e-comm at South Coast Plaza apps up 50%.

Adobe eyes $253B national e-commerce, with OC's mobile-savvy crowd (e.g., via South Coast Plaza's app) driving half. Gen Z in Irvine/Costa Mesa prioritizes viral trends like teen fashion (+25% YoY).Top Trends: Deals, Decked-Out Malls & Local Flair

  • Early & Hybrid Shopping Boom: 80% of OC gifts snag pre-Cyber Monday; ambient mobile buys (e.g., during errands at The Lab Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa) are hot. South Coast Plaza's Singles' Day (Nov 10-11) offers gifts-with-purchase, teasing broader Black Friday perks up to 40% off.

  • Value Over Volume: 86% brace for pricier electronics/food; pivot to gift cards ($16B BNPL nationally) and "affordable luxuries" like See’s Candies pop-ups. In Costa Mesa, low-inventory housing trends spill into retail—shoppers trade homes for handbags, eyeing status bags from Chanel/Gucci at South Coast Plaza.

  • Experiential Shifts: Runway moods like "femme fatale" inspire festive looks; home trends (e.g., Crate & Barrel's fall collections) tie into OC's dwell-in-details vibe. Disney's Festival of Holidays at California Adventure (Anaheim-adjacent) draws 1M+ for foodie feasts, boosting spillover to OC.

South Coast Plaza Spotlight: Wonderland Awaits Costa Mesa's crown jewel unveils its 2025 holiday magic from November 20 to January 4, starting with a tree-lighting at Town Center Park—live music, caroling, and dazzling decor for all ages. New tenants amp the luxe: Bottega Veneta, Moncler, and Ramen Nagi for post-shop bites. Trends to watch: IT shoes (Miu Miu sneakers, Alaïa flats), essential handbags, and six runway buys like office siren fits. No Santa deets yet, but expect family exclusives; SCP Village adds art galleries and dining for that "town & country" escape. Economic nod: These events could inject $500M+ into OC retail, per prior years .Costa Mesa & OC Events Calendar

  • Merry & Bright Charity Festival (Dec 6, The Clubhouse Baseball, Costa Mesa): Artisan crafts, music—perfect for local gifting.

  • Great Park Holiday Faire (Nov 8, Irvine): 43rd year of kid activities, live tunes, and artisan kicks.

  • St. Paul's Holiday Boutique (Nov 8, Orange): Arts, crafts, food from 9am-3pm—early-bird steals.

  • Irvine Company Centers (Ongoing): Skate in shorts, holiday caroling across OC spots like Irvine Spectrum.

  • Broader OC: Boat parades, ice skating countywide; Disney's food fest (Nov-Dec) lures foodies south.

Challenges: Tariffs Loom Large LocallyNew duties on China/Canada could slap $28.6B–$40B extra on OC bills, hitting South Coast Plaza's import-heavy luxury hardest (apparel/toys up 10-20%). PayPal notes order value dips in CA; federal echoes add volatility. Small OC biz (47% holiday revenue) stress diversification—webinars eye Q4 pivots.Social Buzz on XChatter's festive but fretted: Posts hype Merry & Bright as a "must for OC families," with #SouthCoastPlaza trending for tree-lighting RSVPs. One viral thread gripes tariffs "killing Costa Mesa deals," but hype builds for Psycho Bunny's Holiday Drop (ends Nov 15).OC's season feels like a luxe jazz riff—unpredictable, with South Coast Plaza as the stage.