LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — A Los Angeles County jury reached a verdict in the first civil trial accusing social media companies of designing products intended to be addictive to children.

Deliberations lasted nearly 44 hours over nine days. Jurors told Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl that they had trouble reaching consensus on one defendant.

The trial began last month in a Los Angeles County courtroom. Tech CEOs including Mark Zuckerberg testified during the proceedings. The case was the first in a consolidated group brought by more than 1,600 plaintiffs, including over 350 families and over 250 school districts.

The plaintiff, identified as K.G.M., testified that her nearly nonstop use of social media caused or contributed to depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia. She testified that she felt she wanted to constantly use the platforms and feared missing out if she was not on them. K.G.M. was a minor at the time of the incidents alleged in the lawsuit and is now 20 years old.

A spokesperson for Meta said that K.G.M.'s challenges were not caused by social media and pointed to emotional and physical abuse she experienced when she was younger.

"We have been notified that the jury has reached a verdict. It will be read this morning," an attorney for the plaintiff said.

"But win or lose the outcome of this trial, victims in the United States have won because now we know that social media companies can and will be held accountable before a fair and impartial jury. And in some cases plaintiffs will prevail, and in some they may not, but we are just gratified for the opportunity to get this far, and there will be many more trials in the future," said Matt Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center.

TikTok and Snap reached settlements ahead of the trial and remain defendants in similar lawsuits expected to go to trial this year. K.G.M.'s lawsuit was the first civil action seeking to hold social media platforms accountable for allegedly causing addiction and mental health problems.