Ehh, I had little luck with that strategy in my high school. Meh, what you could at least do is try to find a good hobby, but don't let it consume ya.
Works well for me, and for alot of people. Why shouldn't he hang out with friends with common interests? Sociability is the light of life.
I say go out. See the world. Do something crazy. Try volunteer work. Helping people in need is always good and you're able to put a smile on someone else's face, and also your own. If you can't find a good job, get one of those heavy work jobs that pay little. I've had several of those, and they do something to people. They kinda awaken them to live, it's like playing a sport, you get full of adrenaline and you end up feeling really good at the end of the day.
Work on three fronts:
1- Do sports and work out. Having a healthy body's awesome, and you FEEL awesome. Having TONS of energy to do alot of stuff, being able to run for awhile without getting tired, or just being able to be strong and doing manual labour easily. It's good for everyone.
2- Work on your culture. See your country? Read its in-depth history. Start catching up with current political affairs. Watch the news everyday. Get a ton of classic books from your library and READ THEM. Find out what you're missing. Be a cultured, knowledgeable individual. Improve yourself on that front.
3- Be sociable. Hang out with people. See that money you're saving to buy the latest game/manga/anime? Take it, and go get drunk with friends. have FUN. Do some kind of social activity, meet people, be smart and witty, get a girlfriend if you don't have one. Having good friends is the best thing in the world. You get to have one hell of a time in your life, and you get to enjoy amazing moments with them.
Do that, and you'll have an incredibly awesome life.