The best part about digital is that you can take as many pictures as you want whenever you want, see the results right away, and if they don't come out the way you want delete them and go take some more - so experiment. It's just like riding a bike, the best way to learn is to do it yourself, fall down, get back up and do it again until you eventually get to the point where you aren't falling over all the time. Don't get me wrong, reading tutorials and watching videos is a great way to help yourself improve, but there really is no substitute for hands on experience.
I actually went out this morning and took a few pictures. I was happy with a couple and by that I mean literally two... lol. I'm going to go to my local park later on and see what I can get there.
Taking many pictures really is the best way to start understanding everything - or it was for me -
I just checked my photography folder, in my first 3 months I shot over 5,000 pictures - And do what you're already doing, look up video's on youtube, read books and don't forget to have fun

and don't think many of those pictures were very good

Think out of those 5,000 I might have 10 or 12 'keepers' but the amount of shooting taught me so much. right now I get 3 to 5 keepers every 50 shots - so that's already a lot better, but again room for improvement
(and by keepers I mean the ones that make you go 'wow, did I just do that?!' not just in focus and such)
oh and almost forgot! Welcome to the forums, I'm new as well