A toddler was laughing her head off. playing with an old man who I assumed was her grandfather, I missed all this liveliness, the beauty of a community, because I was trapped in the
black hole of technology. What figurative device did the author use to describe technology?
How does this contribute to the central idea of the text?

Figurative Device: Metaphor

Contribution: Technology is keeping us from processing and interacting.

Explanation:

While both similes and metaphors are used to make comparisons, the difference between similes and metaphors comes down to a word. Similes use the words like or as to compare things—“Life is like a box of chocolates.” In contrast, metaphors directly state a comparison—“Love is a battlefield.”

The black hole of endless, unimportant streams of technology-enabled information is devouring everyone living in the 21st century. No matter how much people may look at information, it does not mean they are absorbing it. Equating quality with speed and volume, people may read thousands of news headlines broadcasted across the world daily, yet they will forget them in a couple of hours. No one stops to process information anymore to determine its significance or importance. No one appreciates the value of personal interaction or nature. Everything is go, go, go. Not once do we stop. Before being introduced to my phone and computer, I had been more appreciative of the world around me. Now, I'm always consumed by my "tech," and I never stop to take a break.

I hope this helps you in any shape or form.

the answer should be:

the intervention of the supernatural gives gilgamesh hope that he will defeat humbaba.