I understand pilots concern with turbulence and the possibility of injury to passengers and crew and the liability that may result. It's real, and pilots are right to be concerned with an item like this that can negatively affect their career. But, on US airlines, the seat belt sign has been left on for so long on so many flights where there is no turbulence experienced, that the seat belt sign no longer carries any authority to "stay in your seat with your seat belt fastened".
Instead, even though the seat belt sign is on, we have pax who get up and open the overhead bins and futz with their luggage, or get up and use the bathroom, or get up to stretch, even prior to or below 10k feet.
And, FA's say nothing to pax who do these things, even though they certainly have the authority to do so, since pax must "obey crew member instructions" and "obey lighted signs and placards".
The FAA, US airlines, and FA's clearly don't give compliance with the seat belt sign any priority, probably because they are just glad to be back to a somewhat normal environment after dealing with so many crazy COVID situations.
But the "fasten your seat belts" sign is now the "pilots CYA light" in case of turbulence.
None of this particularly bothers me, but it is a change from what veteran travelers have experienced in the past.