JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<ul>
    <li>Morbi in sem quis dui placerat ornare. Pellentesque odio nisi, euismod
        in, pharetra a, ultricies in, diam. Sed arcu. Cras consequat.</li>
    <li>Praesent dapibus, neque id cursus faucibus, tortor neque egestas augue,
        eu vulputate magna eros eu erat. Aliquam erat volutpat. Nam dui mi, tincidunt
        quis, accumsan porttitor, facilisis luctus, metus.</li>
    <li>Phasellus ultrices nulla quis nibh. Quisque a lectus. Donec consectetuer
        ligula vulputate sem tristique cursus. Nam nulla quam, gravida non, commodo
        a, sodales sit amet, nisi.</li>
    <li>Pellentesque fermentum dolor. Aliquam quam lectus, facilisis auctor, ultrices
        ut, elementum vulputate, nunc.</li>
</ul>

CSS

li {
    -webkit-touch-callout: none;
    -webkit-user-select: none;
    -khtml-user-select: none;
    -moz-user-select: none;
    -ms-user-select: none;
    user-select: none;
}

JavaScript

$("li").on("mousedown mouseover", function (e) {
    if (e.buttons == 1 || e.buttons == 3) {
        $(this).css({
            backgroundColor: "red"
        });
    }
}).on("mouseup mouseout", function (e) {
    $(this).css({
        backgroundColor: ""
    });
});