How to tap and mark text?

I just got the new OS Catalina and have been trying to find a way that doesn't kill my wrists when I mark text. It used to be simple - tap the touch pad and move that finger to where I wanted to mark to. Now I have to hold down the pad with a click instead of a tap and that is not going to work for long. My hands will be destroyed when working with text within a week.

I checked in preferences, I don't see a double tap there at all. How do I get my touchpad to do what I need? Any suggestions much appreciated.