Woman Gives Up Smartphone For The Chance To Win $100,000

A New York woman is trading her smartphone for the chance to win $100,000 if she can go an entire year without using her -- or anyone else's -- mobile device.

Fantasy writer Elana Mugdan was selected from a pool of more than 100,000 applicants to VitaminWater's #nophoneforayear contest, the beverage company announced Friday.

Her winning submission stood out for its humor and brand relevance, VitaminWater told CBS MoneyWatch. The former filmmaker directed -- and starred in -- an infomercial for going phoneless.

"We were looking for creativity, originality, cultural or brand relevance, humor, and her post capitalized on all those criteria," said VitaminWater brand manager Natalie Suarez.

The competition's goal matched VitaminWater's: To break monotony. "VitaminWater broke the monotonous water category by adding vitamins and flavor to water. We have always stood for breaking boring habits -- and what's more mindless than scrolling on your phone?" Suarez said.

Friday marks the start of 365 days with access to only a 1996-era mobile phone for Mugdan, who said she's eager to ditch her iPhone 5 to adopt healthier ways of communicating with her friends. She also has her eye set on the cash prize, which she said she'll invest in her career as an independent author -- to help fulfill her dream of becoming a full-time writer.

"I have no doubt I will make it through a year because there's so much at stake here," Mugdan told CBS MoneyWatch. "Being an indie author, I could put the money toward book tours and marketing. This is my small business that I'm trying to get off the ground, so I have very many uses for it," she said.

Mugdan said she was a natural choice because she has long wanted to limit her smartphone use so that she can finally finish her young-adult novel series.