What's the obsession with back passing to the keeper?

We seem to be doing it more than ever now and I just don't understand the benefit as it's taking unnecessary risks. Even if you do accurately put it back to the keeper you then have another risk of the keeper fluffing it and normally it ends up hoofing it upfield to the opposition anyway.

Is it a directive from the management or are we just f--king stupid?

Someone please explain the benefit to me.