The Covid-19 epidemic we are experiencing has forced almost all humanity to a different lifestyle with the necessity of "social isolation". Moreover, we were caught unprepared for this. None of us can yet predict how the future will be shaped. With the epidemic and the forced withdrawal of everyone to their homes, we seem to be conscious of digitalization after health and hygiene. Our children had to switch to completely online education all of a sudden. Many companies with suitable infrastructure have switched their employees to a work-from-home system.

In the Covid-19 period, the importance of readiness of digital platforms came up for those over the age of 65. Many digital platforms currently in use are designed for those aged 18-40. In particular, the user experience of e-commerce sites in Turkey appeals to a narrower and younger audience.

If digitalization is going to be one of the requirements of this age - and it seems so - in a world where the population is getting older, it becomes a necessity rather than a choice for digital and physical platforms to include the elderly population in their target audience.

The Purposes of 65 Years and Over to Use the Internet

According to the research conducted by the Norman Nielsen Group with 123 participants aged 65 and over, the purposes of using the internet for this age group are as follows:

• Follow their interests
• Read current news
• Doing banking transactions
• Online shopping
• Research
• Communicating with family

Which Platforms Should Primarily Adapt to 65 Years and Over?

• Multi-category e-commerce platforms
• Platforms that make home delivery like Getir
• News platforms
• Websites of e-government and public institutions
• Health platforms
• Transportation platforms (Airplane, bus, train ticket, services such as Uber)

Some of these platforms know the age of their users. They may differ in their interfaces and user experiences according to the age of the user. They can offer different versions according to age, not only visually, but also in terms of function.

Today, digital platforms, unfortunately, still do not see the age of 65 and over among their target audience. They do not realize the importance of making their content and services accessible to this audience. It will gain more importance in the near future, especially in the near future, to include the audience over the age of 65 in digitalization, with designs that attach importance to accessibility and audience-specific content and service strategies.