SJS – Guidance goes a long way. As I said parents usually base what they are looking for on how the children were brought up and the home environment they came from – that does not mean they always get it right but it usually a safe place to start from.
We must realise that proper shidduchim are way different from the goyshe way of seeking a partner and the tznius way of a shidduch is to take guidance from the parents and not go out clubbing or holidaying seeking your own partner or discussing the shidduchim with your friends. I am not saying that everyone has to marry via this method but if you are going down the shidduch route then guidance from parents is the correct way to go.
Whilst I appreciate your comments about your own life again I would say that the experiences you went through made you grow up but only as far as it is possible for a 16 year old simply due to the fact that you have had limited years on this planet.
I agree that life is different to when we grew up and I am much older than you but I am young enough and I hope wise enough to also know that I was once a teenager who really did know everything and my parents knew nothing. Furthermore I was sure my parents had no idea know who I wanted to marry because they were too old to know anything about my life. But……. many years down the line their guidance helped me in the transition of life from youngster to adult and I now appreciare that although they are no longer alive for me to tell them