LOS ANGELES, March 23 (Reuters) - The jury in the social

media addiction trial in Los Angeles told the judge on Monday it

is having difficulty coming to a consensus with one defendant.

The defendants are Google and Meta, but the jury did not

specify which one it was referring to.

Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl said the jury should reach a verdict

if it can, adding that the case will have to be retried with a

new set of jurors if it cannot reach an agreement.

The jury has been deliberating for over a week in a trial that

involves a young woman who said she became addicted to Google's

YouTube and Meta's Instagram at a young age. The outcome of her

case could influence thousands of similar cases against the tech

companies brought by parents, attorneys general and school

districts.