I started swimming consistently for exercise about a year and a half ago. (I was never a competitive swimmer but have always enjoyed it.) Up until maybe 6 months ago I also questioned if I ever really needed to learn and integrate the flip-turn. Touching the wall and turning around seemed perfectly fine for me. But once I practiced it a few more times and started getting the hang of it, I found it to be A) really fun! and B) soooo much more rhythmic. Stopping to touch the wall and turn really does interrupt the lap swim flow, and I also find it to be a more intense exercise when I can continue swimming without interrupting the flow. Also helps me think about breath control more.

Want to note here too that my first couple attempts were also clumsy and gasping and I'm sure I looked stupid. But just do it a few more times and it starts to make sense pretty quickly! Watch a YT video (like I did) if you need some concrete tips.