I think YouTube videos provide a good starting point in the learning journey. You shouldn't watch the videos and expect to do everything the exact way it's shown in the video, but many videos give tips and tricks you may not learn while experimenting on your own.
That said, in my area I know many photographers who can learn straight from the video and apply what they learn in its entirety. Being that photography is an art not everyone is, or should, apply every technique the exact same way.
I think YouTube videos provide a good starting point in the learning journey. You shouldn't watch the videos and expect to do everything the exact way it's shown in the video, but many videos give tips and tricks you may not learn while experimenting on your own.
That said, in my area I know many photographers who can learn straight from the video and apply what they learn in its entirety. Being that photography is an art not everyone is, or should, apply every technique the exact same way.