The digital era raises challenges for the task of living vitally. Integrating philosophical theories with Heinz Kohut’s concept of the nuclear self structure, this commentary explores issues of digital technology use as they pertain to J.H. Riker’s (2017) theory of vitality. Elaborating on Riker’s framework, we propose that contemporary digital technologies interrupt the cultivation of vitality through effects on embodiment. Specifically, we discuss the phenomenological processes of distancing and objectification that emerge from engagement with the digital realm. We conclude with an interdisciplinary discussion of these processes and their implications for vitality.