Turbulence can make the most experienced fliers anxious, and for fliers who are already anxious about being so high up in the air, it can be one of the most terrifying experiences. Many may worry when turbulence hits, worried what will happen, and how many gusts of air or how powerful those gusts have to be to do any actual damage. Some may see it as being similar to a boat and how there can be many issues with those at sea.
But a plane is different, and in a very vast majority of cases, turbulence is harmless so long as you stay seated and do as instructed by the crew. A plane cannot be flipped upside down, nor can it be flung from the sky, even by a mighty strong air pocket. Turbulence is actually rather normal, it is just an inconvenience. If a pilot changes altitude in order to avoid air pockets that may cause turbulence, then this is in the interest of comfort and peace of mind for the customers, rather than safety, as turbulence won’t actually do any damage to their aircraft itself.